Return of DReaper
by Heroine of the Valley
Summary: A bit of romance at the end. Takes place right at the end of 03, when Takato sees the gate reopening. Well, the DReaper is back with a vengence and wants Jeri back. But how will she act toward this? Will she fight? finished
1. Takato's Discovery

Return of D-Reaper

Takato's Discovery

_I do not own Digimon. This takes place after Takato sees the digital world 'coming back' at the end of Tamers where he used to hide Guilmon._

Takato stared at the digital gate. Was it really open again? "Guilmon?" he mumbled. He sat there and laughed. Maybe he could go back finally. He got up. "Wait until I tell everybody!"

On his way home, he remembered all the fun times he had with Guilmon. How he brought him to life with just drawing him. Did he ever think that Guilmon would become real? That he would find him? He could so clearly recall bringing Guilmon home in a box, how excited he was but nervous. How was he going to take care of a digimon of his size? He remembered the pain of nearly losing him that day when he couldn't find him. He hadn't even had Guilmon for a full day and already he lost him. But then the joy he felt when he found him and how he used to call him "Takatomon" for the first few weeks. Everything came back fresh in his mind and how ecstatic he was when he could spend times like that with hid digimon again. He could hardly wait.

With a laugh, he opened the front door of his home and climbed the stairs to his house. He grabbed the phone and his list of phone numbers. He paused for a minute. Who should he call first? A sickening feeling entered his stomach. What if the digital gate wasn't really opened? What if it was all an illusion or something? If he had called all his friends and told him about what he saw and come straight to Guilmon's old hiding spot and they come only to see that there's nothing there, he could only imagine the pain on their faces. Should he probably call Mr. Yamaki first or Mr. Wong? Would the Monster Makers or Hypnos be able to explain why the gate looked like it was reopening?

Takato sighed. What would they say to him? Would they tell him he was just seeing things? But he hoped and longed for it to be true. He didn't want to take any chances. Maybe he should just call Mr. Wong and ask. But he didn't feel like getting any theories, he just wanted to go back to the digiworld. He only wanted to be reunited with his digimon. Since he was thinking of Mr. Wong, he phoned Henry first. He waited for the phone to pick up. The person to answer was Mrs. Wong.

"Hello, Mrs. Wong," said Takato. "This is Takato. Is Henry around?"

"Why, yes, Takato." She said. "One moment—Henry—Takato's on the phone!"

"Thanks Mom," his voice called from the background. Henry brought the phone to his ear. "Hey, Takato."

"Henry, you won't believe what I just saw!" Takato exclaimed.

"What'd you see?" he asked calmly.

"I saw—I saw—the digi-gate!"

"You saw what?" Henry inquired, falling into his chair.

"I know, it sounds crazy," Takato said, "but I went back to where I kept Guilmon and saw it. I saw the sparkly lights, you know, when the gate opened. It looked like the gate was trying to reopen or something."

"Are you sure?" Henry asked.

"Yes, I am very sure!" Takato cried. "You've got to come down. I wasn't sure whether to call the other tamers or Hypnos before I called you. But maybe we have to go and examine it ourselves first."

Henry paused, "did you see anything else down there? A digital field or a digignome?"

"No." He answered. "Come on, let's go and check it out. Maybe it's real."

"Okay," he said hesitantly. Takato was surprised. Didn't he want to see Terriermon again?

"Great!" Takato exclaimed.

"Let me talk to my dad first," Henry said.

"That's fine," Takato told him. "I can call everybody else. Meet us there at 5:30."

"See ya, Takato," Henry said and hung up.

Takato put the phone in the crook of his ear as he put his finger on the on the little 'hang up' button on the phone, checked Rika's number and phoned her up.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Rika, it's Takato!" he said.

"Hi, Goggle Head," she said playfully. She was so used to calling him that, that it became a habit.

"You might not believe this," she began, "but I saw a digital gate in Guilmon's old hide out."

Rika was silent for a while. "You're right. I don't believe it." She said sternly. "Come on, Takato. You must be dreaming. Why would the gate be open again?"

"I don't know," he replied. "But it's true. I saw it. I don't know what it means though."

"I'm going to have to see this for myself to believe it," Rika said.

"Okay, fine," he told her. "I just called Henry. He doesn't seem to believe it either. We're going to meet there today at half past five. Say you'll come?"

"All right," she said. "I'll be there and this is all fake, Takato, you're going to get it!"

She hung up and Takato thought about whom to call next. Who would be more excited about this? Were all his friends going to doubt? But then eh remembered the two guys that wanted to be tamers just as long as he did.

"Kazu!" he cried as he flipped to his number. He dialed it and on the second ring, Kazu picked up and started talking impressively, as if Takato had been a girl.

"Hello there," he said, "This is Kazu—most gorgeous guy on the face of the planet…"

"Kazu, get real," Takato muttered.

"Wha, Takato?" Kazu gasped. "Hey, I thought you were a girl!"

"Well, I'm not," Takato chuckled.

"You'd better have a darn good reason for calling me," Kazu threatened.

"I do," Takato said. "The digital gate's opening."

"Are you serious?" Kazu demanded.

"Yeah," Takato said.

"You mean, you _saw _it yourself?"

"Of course I saw it," Takato insisted, "How else would I know?"

"When?" Kazu asked. "Where?"

"Just now," Takato answered, "at Guilmon's old hide out."

"No way," Kazu said softly. "This is…unbelievable."

"I know," Takato said.

"Incredible," Kazu laughed, "I was wondering if we were ever going to go back to the digiworld. I never got to biomerge with Gaurdomon. It's not fair, dude!"

"Well, you may get your chance this time," said Takato. "We're meeting at Guilmon's hide out at five thirty."

"I'll be there," Kazu said excitedly. "I hope this is for real. Hey, should I bring my D arc and modify cards?"

"Uh, sure," Takato answered.

"I'll call Kenta," Kazu said. "He's going to flip!"

"Oh, good," Takato said. "One less person to phone."

"See ya, Chumley," said Kazu.

Takato hung up and then he phoned Ryo. Ryo answered in a manner similar to Kazu's.

"Talk to me," he said.

"Hey, it's Takato."

"Takato?" Ryo mumbled. "What's up?"

"I saw a digital gate," Takato said to him.

"You did?" Ryo inquired. "Where?"  
"A shed in the park," he answered, "where I used to keep Guilmon."

"When did you see this?"

"About an hour ago," he replied, "right after school."

"This is amazing," Ryo said. "I wonder why the digital world is trying to reconnect with us again. You think it's in danger or something?"

"No idea," Takato said.

"Did you phone anyone else about it?" Ryo asked.

"Just the other tamers," he answered.

"What about the Monster Makers?"

"No," Takato told him, "I thought about it though. I called Henry first and he said he'd talk to his dad about it."

"Okay."

"You've got to come down and see it," Takato said. "We're all meeting there at half past five."

"Sure," Ryo said. "I'll be there."

"Thanks Ryo." He hung up and paused for a while. He forgot someone. Of course, Jeri! He should've phoned her first. But she was slowly returning to her cheery self after the whole D-Reaper thing. If he told her this, he wasn't sure how she'd act. Still, even with Leomon gone, she's a tamer. He had to tell her the news. Maybe though she'll probably never be reunited with Leomon, she had to at least know what he saw.

Hesitantly, he picked up the receiver and phoned her. After a couple of rings, her father picked up.

"Hello?"

"Is Jeri home?"

"Who's speaking?" Mr. Katou asked, recognizing the voice of a boy.

"It's Takato," he replied.

"Oh, hello, Takato," Mr. Katou said. "One minute."

His father handed her the phone. "It's Takato," he told her.

Smiling, she took the phone. "Hello, Takato," she said sweetly. "How are you?"  
"I'm fine," he answered. "How are you doing, Jeri?"  
"Not bad."

"Jeri, I found something today." He said. "Remember that place where I kept Guilmon?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Well, I found a digital gate there," he said.

"You mean, how we got to the digiworld when we went after Calumon?" she inquired.

"Yes."

"That's funny," she mumbled. "I wonder why it's reopening."

"I know," he said. "That's why we're meeting down there today. We have to check it out."

"Okay, when?" she asked.

He was surprised that she didn't seem reluctant to come after all that happened. But she didn't' really sound excited either.

"Today at five thirty." he answered. "Can you come?"

"Yeah, I think so," she said.

"Great," he said. "See you then."

--

Takato made it at Guilmon's old hide out fifteen minutes early to check on the gate while waiting everyone else. It looked just the same as it did when he discovered it earlier that afternoon. He took out his D-arc and held it close to the field, checking to see if it activated. But nothing happened.

"Hmm, that's weird," he mumbled as he looked closely at his D-arc. "Has it quit working?"

"Hey Chumley, you in here?" Kazu called.

"Yeah," Takato stood up and turned to see Kazu enter with Kenta. "Hey guys."

"Hope you don't mind us being early," said Kenta.

"No problem," Takato smiled.

"Wow," Kazu breathed as he walked toward the digital gate. "You weren't kidding, Takato! The gate really _is_ opening again!"

"This is incredible," Kento whispered.

"Gaurdomon!" Kazu shouted, cupping his mouth. "Can you hear me?"

"I don't think he can hear you, Kazu," Takato told him and Kazu began digging.

"I knew we'd someday go back to the digiworld," Kazu grunted, puling a handful of earth away from him. "Don't just stand there, help me!"

Takato and Kenta shrugged and got down on their hands and knees, digging along with Kazu. They were digging for a while when they heard a familiar girl's voice behind them.

"What the heck do you idiots think you are doing?"

They looked behind them and there stood Rika with her arms folded, her lip curled and eyebrow raised.

"Uh, hi, Rika," Kenta said, standing up and brushing himself up. "We were, uh, well, digging."

"Yeah, isn't it obvious?" Kazu inquired. "Now get down here and help us."

"I'm not going to start digging," she muttered.

"But Rika, it's true," Kenta insisted, "The dig gate's opening again. Only it's not big enough yet."

The three boys moved to the side for her to see. Rika brought her arms down and stepped forward. She gasped.

"I don't believe it! But how?"

"Maybe some digignomes paid this place a visit," Ryo said as he walked in. "Or the digiworld may be in danger."

"What makes you think that?" Takato asked nervously.

"I learned a few things while being in the digiworld for all that time," he explained. "Gates just don't open by themselves. Something had to have caused it. We just have to find out what."

"Hello everybody," Jeri said sweetly as she walked in.

"Hi Jeri," Takato said.

Jeri walked passed Ryo and Rika and peeked at the opening. "Incredible," she said. "I hope there's nothing bad happening over there."

"Don't worry, Jeri," Takato told her. "I'm sure if there is something, we can stop it."

They stood around for a while, giving their thoughts of what this all could mean and then Henry.

"Sorry I'm late," he said.

"I thought you'd be here before everyone else," Rika muttered.

"What did your dad say, Henry?" Takato asked.

"That if the gate's opening again," he said as he walked over to view it, "that the digiworld must be trying to contact us again."

"But why?" Rika inquired.

"It could be a number of reasons," he explained. "But Dad said that it must mean the digiworld is in trouble."

"Then we have to get over there!" Kazu shouted.

"It's not even opened all the way yet," Rika said. "How are we supposed to get there?"

"We dig!" Kazu groaned. "That's what I've been doing!"

"Or we can help make it grow," Henry suggested. "The monster makers could give us a hand. I don't think we should be going over there without letting them know first."

"But if our digimon are in trouble then we can't wait!" Takato shouted. "We have to get there now!"

"The monster makers helped us before," Ryo said, "remember? I agree with Henry. If the digiworld is in trouble, then maybe they can tell how bad it is. That way we can be prepared to bring our digimon food or whatever else they may need."

"But we'd have to hurry," said Rika. "Where are they?"

"My dad's calling them as we speak," Henry said. "He told me to come here and see what I can find out and report to him. Tomorrow's Saturday so we can meet with them tomorrow morning."

Takato seemed hesitant. "Oh, all right. I just hope nothing happens while we're gone." He glanced at the gate. "Okay, tomorrow."

"Good luck," Jeri said. "I'm sure everything will work out."

"Jeri, aren't you coming?" Takato inquired.

"There really isn't anytime coming, is there?" she asked with a sad smile.

"Jeri, I know you must miss Leomon still and," Kenta began and she shook her head.

"It's not just that," she said. "My partner's gone so I'm not a tamer anymore. I only came today to see if what Takato really said was true but I can' meet with the monster makers tomorrow. They can't tell me how my partner is because I already know—I already know what happened to him."

"Jeri," Takato said softly, "we want you to be there. You're still part of the team."

"No," she insisted. "I'm not. I will only get in the way, again. And when you do go to the digiworld, it's best I stay here. So tell everyone I said hi."

"But Jeri," Takato started again.

"You guys just don't understand," she told them. "I can't go back to the digiworld after what happened. You have no idea what I went through. I am sorry, really, really I am. It's not that I don't' want to go, really I do. I liked the digiworld. It was fun but I can't just go there for the fun."

"Why not?" Kazu demanded. "Kenta and I did and we didn't have our partners yet."

"It's not the same, Kazu," she sighed. "You knew why we were going to the digiworld that time and I'm sure you knew you were going to become tamers. But the reality is that Leomon is gone and he's not coming back. My partner is dead."

Takato put his hand on her shoulder, "Jeri, please say you'll come."

"I'm sorry, I can't." She started to walk out.

"Jeri, come back!" Takato called after her but Jeri just kept on walking.

"Leave her alone, Takato!" Rika hissed.

"Huh?" he turned around.

"You heard her," Rika said angrily, "she told you why she wouldn't be coming tomorrow. Just let her go. We have no idea what happened to her when we fought the D-Reaper and we can't imagine what it must've been like. She doesn't want anything like that to happen again so just leave her alone."

"Don't you want Jeri to come with us?" Takato inquired.

"Trust me, I don't having to baby sit you boys."

"Hey!" Kazu exclaimed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"And I don't like being the only older girl in the group," Rika sighed, "I admit—I kind of like having another girl in the group my age but without Leomon Jeri's no longer a tamer so if she comes with us she really won't be able to help."

"What if Leomon does come back though?" Takato asked. "Or if she gets a new partner?"

"I still don't think she would fight," Rika said. "She doesn't know how. She wasn't a tamer long enough to learn. Now if you're all done arguing, I'm going now. See you tomorrow."

When Rika left, Henry looked at Takato. "Why didn't you just tell her?" he asked.

"What?" Takato mumbled.

"Jeri," Henry said, "why didn't you the _real _reason why you wanted her to come?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Takato said.

"I think I do," Kazu grinned, putting an arm around Takato and ruffling his hair. "You've got a thing for Jeri, don't you?"

"What? Hey!" Takato gasped. "I never said—that I—that has nothing to do with it!"

Ryo smiled, "isn't it?"

"Then why did you want her to come with us?" Henry asked. "You know she doesn't have a partner anymore and you knew full well she wouldn't come."  
"No I didn't," Takato said innocently.

"Well, I did," Henry sighed. "Even if it has been a while, Jeri isn't the same as she was when we entered the digiworld. She doesn't want to come back. I'm surprised she didn't try to back out when we came here today."

"Hey, maybe we can find a way to bring back Leomon," Takato said. "If the digital world really _is _in trouble then we need all the help we can get."

"But Jeri _won't_," Henry said. "Even if we did. It would take a lot of convincing to get her to come. But if you told her the real reason why you want her to come, then maybe she will."

"But, I," he mumbled, "I already did."

"Huh?" Kazu gasped. "You mean, you really did confess your feelings to Jeri? What happened? What'd she say?"

"Hey, cut it out, Kazu!" Takato muttered. "This has nothing to do with anything, okay? Forget I even said it. Right, Jeri doesn't want to come. We'll have to do what we can without her. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Trying to hide his embarrassment, Takato stepped out and walked on home, his mind fresh on what just took place. Was it really obvious to everybody how he felt about Jeri? And if they all knew it, then how come Jeri didn't it? Or did she?

He sighed and remembered all what happened with Leomon and Jeri and the D-Reaper. Didn't Jeri ever once notice how he felt? When he did tell her, how come she didn't' say anything? Was she even listening? Maybe the others were right. Maybe Jeri shouldn't come. If something wrong were to happen she probably would become like that again. As painful as it was for him to admit it, Jeri would have to stay here when they went to the digiworld. But would Takato want to leave Jeri behind?

He had to find a way. It was his only option. Somehow, he had to find a way to bring Jeri back to the digiworld. To make her a tamer again. But how? What could he do? Was it already too late?

To Be Continued


	2. The Meeting

Return of D-Reaper 2

**The Meeting**

_I do not own Digimon Tamers._

Takato took a bath and went to bed. Sleeping that night was not easy for Takato. He kept dreaming about Jeri and the time Leomon died. He had felt so helpless that day He thought that the only way to make justice was to make Beelzemon pay with his life. But instead he made matters worse. He had lost it. He shouldn't have done that in front everyone, in front of Jeri.

Jeri became an easy victim for the D-Reaper, a perfect host. She really wasn't the same person after that. Before she even knew about digimon, she was a happy go-lucky, cheerful, smart and innocent girl. She began to change slowly through their adventure. She was heartbroken when she lost Leomon and was depressed when she became abducted by D-Reaper. Though the D-Reaper wasn't a threat anymore and she was freed, she had a little dark and mysterious side about her. He really couldn't explain it. Takato was worried about her. What happened to the sweet Jeri he knew and loved? Would she ever come back? If she were to become a tamer again, would she reconsider going to the digiworld with them?

Then he got an idea. He drew his own digimon and he came alive. Maybe he could draw one for Jeri. It was worth a shot. But he didn't have any ideas in his head at the moment. He lay there for a while, trying to think of the perfect digimon for Jeri. Then he fell asleep.

As he slept, he dreamed about Jeri in the digiworld with them. She had found a yellow speckled digiegg and they were watching over it, waiting for it to hatch. There was a familiar, pretty smile on her face.

"Think it will hatch soon, Takato?" she inquired anxiously.

"Yeah," he replied as he added more sticks for its nest. "I wonder what kind of digimon is in there."

"Me too," she agreed. "I can't wait to be a tamer again, Takato. You think I've got what it takes?"

"Of course, Jeri," he told her. "I know you do. You deserve another chance to be a tamer again and I bet you'll be a great tamer once that egg hatches."

"You really think so?"

"I know so."

"Thanks, Takato," she said, beaming.

The egg began to shake and they turned their attention to it.

"It's going to hatch!" he exclaimed.

The egg cracked around the top and into pieces. Now Jeri held a baby digimon in her hands. It looked like a botamon only it was orange-yellow. Her D-arc beeped.

"Iti's name is _Fire Botamon_—I'm a tamer again, Takato!"

Takato woke up with a smile on his face. Now he had an idea for Jeri's new digimon. He could start with the egg from his dream and its baby form. Jeri could start raising it from the moment it hatches. He threw the covers off him and got up to get dressed. Then he sat at his desk, grabbed his pencils and paper and started drawing the egg he saw in his dream and the egg.

He sat there looking at the picture an he thought of something. How would he be able to make the egg real? He was never able to explain how Guilmon came to life. It just sort of happened. Frowning, he set down his orange colored pencil and leaned back. What if it never came to life? What if Jeri never got another partner? What if she never got another chance to be a digimon tamer? Didn't she deserve a second chance? Leomon was taken away from her far too soon. Takato heaved a sigh. There had to be a way.

Takato picked up his pencil again and absentmindedly finished coloring, trying to think of some kind of way to make this digimon come to life. He thought of the digignomes and how they granted wishes. But they were in the digiworld. He wrote the name, "FIRE BOTAMON" at the top and looked at the picture. Then he remembered something. He felt so stupid for not thinking about it earlier. Where was he going to this morning?

"Of course," he said, "the monster makers! Maybe they can do it!" he folded the drawing and put it in his pocket. Grabbing his D-arc and modify cards, he ran down the stairs and set off to meet his friends and the monster makers.

--

It was great to see the monster maker team again. They listened to Takato's story intently and waited a while before responding.

"The portal wouldn't be opening unless there was a reason," said Babel, smoothing his goatee in thought. "It could be one of two things. The digital world probably healed itself after having the D-Reaper damaging it or it's in danger."

"It couldn't be the D-Reaper, could it?" Henry inquired.

"Only if it found away to survive," answered Daisy. "By possessing digimon, no doubt."

"Then we'd better get going then," Kazu said, putting his hands on his hips. "We can't just sit here and let the D-Reaper destroy everything."

"Hold on," said Dolphin. "You can't go when you don't know what you're facing. Let us try to analyze what state the digital world is in. If it's safe, you can go and see your digimon again but if it's in trouble then let us program a few things to bring with you so can keep in contact. We may have to make a new arc to bring you all back."

"All right," said Rika, "how long is it going to take? I don't feel like waiting too long."

"We don't know," Babel replied. "Twenty-four hours, maybe more. It really all defensive we can get a connection."

"What?" Kazu demanded. "What are we supposed to do in the meantime?"

"Just wait," Curly replied. "We'll let you know what we find out."

The tamers seemed a bit reluctant but started to leave anyway. Those with cell phones left their numbers with the monster makers. When his friends were gone, Takato approached the monster makers.

"You were studying how to make digimon before," he said softly. "I need you to make one."

"Don't you already have a digimon, Takato?" Mr. Wong inquired.

"It's not for me," he replied, taking out the drawing from his back pocket. "It's for Jeri. She wasn't a tamer long enough and I think she deserves a second chance. You think you can make this digimon real for her?"

"You drew this, Takato?" Babel inquired, taking the picture.

"Yes," Takato answered. "That's how I got Guilmon. I made him up. He was just a drawing and then he somehow became real. I thought since I've done it before, it would probably work again."

"It's just the egg and baby," said Daisy, looking over Babel's shoulder.

"I know," Takato said. "I saw it in a dream. That was all I was able to see."

"Does Jeri know you drew this?" Mr. Wong asked.

"No," Takato replied. "I wanted to show it to you first, incase you can do it. I don't want to give her hopes ups to be a tamer again if you can't."

"We'll see what we can do," Mr. Wong told him. "But we'll have to first find out what is happening in the digital world and figure out some ways to communicate with you. Making a camera that yu can bring with you would be a good idea too so we can know what we're up against."

"Thanks, Mr. Wong."

--

The monster workers and Hypnos workers spent the next forty-eight hours trying to get a reading on the digital world. Finding the state of it was impossible. They did find the digital gate Takato told them about and it was getting larger. As they searched, they found something else.

"Look at this!" Curly exclaimed. "Digimon are approaching the gate from the other side."

"How many?" Babel inquired.

"Looks like eight or nine."

"Are they big?"

"No—they're small. I think it's those children's digimon!"

"Are you sure?" Mr. Wong inquired.

"it's got to be," Curly said firmly.

"Let's call them," said Daisy. "Tel them go get to the gate."

--

The tamers didn't waste any time to get to the gate. "Did you hear?" Kazu inquired excitedly as they walked inside. "They said our digimon are on their way here!"

They waited outside the digital gate and watched it enlarge. Their D-Arcs began reacting and they started getting data on the digimon that were coming thorugh the field.

"Gigimon," said Takato. "That's Guilmon's in-training form!"

"Yeah and Viximon," said Rika.

Their digimon, including Calumon came through the portal. Gigimon bounced toward Takato.

"Takato!" he squeaked.

"Gigimon!" exclaimed Takato.

The tamers embraced their digimon as Chocomon and Yaamon waited.

"What's new?" Ryo asked Hopmon, a small purple digimon with yellow markings.

"That's why we came," Hopmon said.

"Is the digital world in danger?" Henry asked.

"Yes," Chocomon answered. "I'm afraid the D-reaper has returned."

"But how?" Kazu demanded. "I thought we beat that thing!"

"We saw the digimon sovereign attacking it," said Takato.

"They were able to slow it down for a time," Chocomon explained, "but it got the better of them."

"Oh no, they're not dead are they?" Kenta asked.

"They're still alive," said Marine Angemon. "They were able to slow the D-Reaper down."

"We came back here because we needed your help," Chocomon said, "Zhuquiamon sent us."

"Many digimon have been destroyed or turned evil from the D-Reaper's influence," Viximon explained.

"Let's get back to the monster makers," Henry said.

--

"So the D-Reaper has returned then?" Mr. Wong asked. "But why?"

"Our Digimon Sovereign were not able to destroy it," Chocomon explained. "They tried locking them up in a dungeon but that didn't work either. The D-Reaper has become angry."

"Why?" asked Rika.

"Because it's been stopped," she replied. "It wanted to destroy humanity."

"It's after Jeri again, we think." Yaamon added.

"Why would it be after Jeri?" Takato asked.

"Because she was a perfect host," Hopmon replied. "It was revenge."

"We've got to keep it from coming over here again," Kazu said. "You've got to send us to the Digital World!"

"Your digimon are weak," said Daisy, "if the digital world really is in a mess they can't go in right away. They'll have to stay here a while until we find a way to get through this."

"I'll take Yaamon to Ai and Mako then," said Kenta.

"What about Jeri?" Takato asked the Monster Makers, "have you begun working on making a new digimon for her?"

"Not yet," Babel answered. "We'll probably need her D-Arc to get anywhere."

"I'll talk to her," Takato said. "Keep us posted."

--

Takato decided to stop at Jeri's before continuing on home. He wanted to show her Gigimon and tell her what happened. She was surprised to see Gigimon.

"Why'd they come back?" she inquired. "Are they here for a visit?"

"No, Jeri, not exactly," Takato answered. "Jeri, this will be a shock. You might want to sit down?"

But Jeri remained standing. "What do you mean, Takato?"

Takato sighed. "The Digital World is in trouble. We didn't stop the D-Reaper."

"So…the D-Reaper is still a threat then, isn't it?" she asked softly.

"Yeah."

"I knew it," Jeri mumbled. "I knew it would come back to get me. I've been having nightmares about it."

"Y-you have?" Takato asked in surprise. "How come you never told me?"

She shrugged, "well, I didn't expect it to actually happen."

"Don't worry, Jeri," Takato said firmly. "We will stop it for good, this time. You'll see and it's not going to possess you either."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Of course," he said. "The monster makers will make sure of that."

"How?" she inquired.

"We're going to get you a new digimon," Takato said excitedly. "Isn't that great, Jeri? You can be a tamer again."

"A new digimon partner?" Jeri whispered. "I don't understand. Leomon's dead, Takato. How can you get me a new partner?"

"I…I had a dream too," Takato said. "About you and this digi-egg, it hatched and, well, I decided to draw it and give it to the monster makers. I asked them to make it real."

She smiled weakly, "that's sweet, Takato but I don't' want to be a tamer again. I've made a mistake by ever wanting to be one."

"Jeri, come on," Takato urged. "Think of it, you can come with us to the Digital World again—you can get to do all that Tamer stuff you missed out on."

"I'm not going to the digital world," Jeri crossed her arms. "And I don't want a new partner. You've fought the D-Reaper without me before, you can do it again."

"But Jeri," Takato insisted, "you were inside it—you know how it works—you're probably the only one that can stop it."

"Forget it!" Jeri walked away.

"But we need your help, Jeri."

"No, Is it up all over again!" Jeri shouted.

"It's going to be all right," Takato said. "Just bring your D-arc down to the monster makers and they'll make it real for you."

"Do it for Alice instead," Jeri muttered. "She lost her partner too and I'm sure she's a better partner than I can ever hope to be. Her grandfather's on the monster maker team and everything. She knows this stuff than probably any of us."

"but—I want to do it for you," Takato said, "that's why I drew it. I'll have the monster makers continue working on it incase you change your mind."

"Fine, but you're wasting your time," Jeri turned away from him. "I hope you stop it for good this time. Make sure it doesn't possess anyone else. It's awful. No one should have to go through that."

"Jeri," Gigimon mumbled.

"Please go," Jeri told him. "And tell the others for me."

"Okay," said Takato and he picked up Gigimon, shutting him.

Takato hoped he was ready for another battle with the D-Reaper because he knew when he fought it the first time; he never wanted to fight it again.

To Be Continued.

Yo, people, leave comments and help please. As I started writing this fanfic, I found that it was more difficult than I thought! Which is why it has been so long for me to update it. I've been trying to brush up on my Tamers info. I learned that Gomamon is not the only digimon that can become Marine Angemon and since you don't see his in-training form at the end of the series, I just kept him like that. But if any one has any 'inside info' on Kenta's digimon, let me know.


	3. Irreplaceable

Hey people, thank you for reading and reviewing this story and I'm so sorry for the late update. I've had writer's block for this story and another Tamer's fic I've started: "Don't Go Daddy" (a Rika ficwhat's Rika's mother's name by the way?) and to make matters work all of the stories I ever wrote I saved to a CD because there wasn't much room on the hard drive. Well, we got a new computer and the computer would not read the disk! I think there was a virus or something that ate all my files! So please bear with me as I write this story. If any of you have any suggestions of what you might like to see, let me know and if you know any uber good Tamer sites (mostly Jeri, Takato, Alice or Rika centered) let me know!

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. Fire Botamon's my character but you can use her if you'd like.

Return of D-Reaper 3

Irreplaceable

It wasn't long after the digimon arrived to the real world when the agents of D-Reaper followed. When the Tamers' digimon were able to digivolve, they went to attack. Jeri saw no need to join in their battles. When the tamers finally decided to go to the digital world to meet with the Sovereign, they took the advice and devices they would need from the Monster Makers.

"It would be best that Kenta and Kazu remain here with the younger tamers," said Mr. Wong.

"What?" Kazu demanded. "You mean we have to baby sit?"

"I don't understand," Kenta said softly. "Why can't we go with the others?"

"Because they can biomerge with their digimon," Daisy answered. "They can help the digimon fight it in the digital world while you stay here and fight it."

"I think I understand," said Lopmon in Suzie's arms. "We may need the help of Guardomon and MarineAngemon while we stay here."

"Ah," said Impmon, "I can handle it fine…"

"Impmon," muttered Ai.

"But if you'd want to stay that's fine!" said Impmon with a grin. "The more, the merrier!"

Kazu groaned. "Well, I guess if we've got to stay then we will…"

"Takato," said Curly, "There's one more thing we have to give you."

"What is it?" Takato asked curiously as he stepped forward. Curly picked up a box and held it up to Daisy as she reached in.

"I know you said Jeri didn't want to do this," said Daisy softly, "but we were already working on it so…"

She handed Takato a gold and scarlet D-arc and a yellow digi-egg with a red spiral.

"For Jeri?" Takato inquired.

"Yes," Curly replied.

Takato looked at the egg and d-arc for a moment and then he looked back up. "Thank you, I just hope Jeri will be okay with it."

"You're welcome," said Mr. Wong.

Takato turned to his friends. "You all go ahead. I'll catch up."

"Are you sure Takato?" Henry inquired.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Takato answered. "Go on. I have to give these to Jeri."

"Takato!" Jeri exclaimed. "What a surprise. Oh, Guilmon!"

Guilmon let out a happy cheer as he hugged Jeri. "Jeri!"

"It's good to see you too, Guilmon," said Jeri.

"Jeri, I have something for you," Takato told her as he walked inside. "You know that the D-Reaper Agents came through the barrier?"

"Yes," said Jeri. "But you've stopped them, right?"

"For now," Takato answered. "That's why we have to go back to the Digital World and speak with the Sovereign. They might have a plan for us."

"That's good," Jeri said softly, pacing a little. "Good. So you'll be able to stop the D-Reaper for good, right?"

"We hope so," said Takato. "Look, Jeri, I know you didn't want me to do this but the Monster Makers wanted to help and, well….here…" he reached into his backpack and took out the new D-Arc and digi-egg. Jeri gasped and backed up.

"Takato, no!" she cried, pointing at the two items as if they were going to explode. "Why? How could you?"

"I only wanted to help, Jeri," Takato said softly. "I didn't know they already started working on it. We're on our way to the Digital World. You can come with us."

"No, Takato!" she shouted. "You know I can't be a tamer!"

"Jeri, you were a tamer once," Takato reminded her. "You had a partner."

"Yeah, I _had _one," Jeri groaned. "It was a big mistake. I shouldn't have been so stupid to actually believe Leomon was my partner."

"You weren't stupid," said Takato. "You just wanted to be a tamer like me."

"I'm not strong like you guys," Jeri insisted.

"Don't be sad, Jeri," Guilmon pleaded.

"Listen, if you are going to the Digital World now, you'd better hurry." Jeri walked to her window and looked outside. "Before the D-Reaper comes to our world again."

"Takato," said Guilmon, "perhaps we should just leave Jeri's new digimon here so she can take care of it. It wouldn't be safe in the Digital World now."

"Okay," Takato placed the D-arc and digi-egg on Jeri's bed. "Well, by the time is a Rookie Jeri, I guess you can return it to the Digital World. We don't know when we'll be back so…goodbye Jeri."

Jeri sighed and turned around. "Goodbye, Takato. Good luck."

"Bye-bye," said Guilmon and he followed his tamer out of the door. Jeri came and sat down on her bed to look at the egg. She picked it up.

"I'm sorry I have to be your tamer," she whispered, "but I'll try harder this time to take care of you, okay?"

Takato and Guilmon made it back to the portal to meet the others. "I gave Jeri her new digi-egg. She won't be coming."

"That's okay," said Henry, "it's probably better that she stays here with it. If the D-Reaper is after again, she might be caught."

"But I wouldn't let that happen," Takato insisted.

"Well her digimon is still an egg you know," Rika said. "It can't do much right now. Come on, let's get going."

"right," Takato nodded and he and the others climbed through the digi-port and into the digital world. They got the shock of their lives when they set eyes upon it again. It was nothing like they saw before. It was all barren and dark. How was it that any of the digimon was even able to survive?

Jeri placed the digi-egg in a basket lined with pillows. She pushed it near the furnace of her room and laid on her stomach on top of her bed, watching the digi-egg.

"I wonder how long it will take for this egg to hatch," she said aloud.

She sighed and shook her head. She understood why Takato did ask the monster makers to make a new digimon for Jeri. She knew he meant well but he didn't understand that she just wasn't tamer material. Why didn't he just let it go? Did he really think he could bring Leomon back by giving her this egg? But what if this digimon could digivolve to a Leomon? It would be great; she believed but it wouldn't be _her _Leomon now would it?

Jeri shook her head as she picked up her new digivice. It was different from her old on. Her previous D-arc was white with yellow markings and a yellow strap. This new one in her hand was all gold with scarlet markings and a scarlet strap. She wasn't sure if it made a difference or not. Why couldn't' she just use her old one? Was it because that D-arc only worked with Leomon and this digimon here was a whole other digimon? But she didn't want a _new _digimon. She wanted Leomon.

"This was just like when Mom died," Jeri moaned as she rolled over and looked at her mother's picture. She could recall that awful day when her mother died. Jeri just wanted to show her a drawing to cheer her up and make her feel better. But it was too late. Her mother was gone. Of course her father said that a part of her would always be with them, but she didn't feel it. Was he just saying it to make her feel better? It didn't work. She kept looking for that 'part' that would still be with them but never found it.

And her father went and married another woman. Why on Earth did he do that for? Oh yes, because he couldn't raise a girl by himself. He needed a woman in the house, didn't he? Did Jeri's father actually think he could help Jeri by marrying some other lady so she could be her new mommy? Is that what he thought? Jeri didn't want another woman in her house—cooking her breakfast—doing her laundry. She didn't do things like her real mother did.

Jeri wanted her real mother to come back and be her mother again. She'd do anything just to hear her laugh—hear her sweet voice when she read her stories. She wanted her mother to make the pancakes just the way Jeri liked them. Jeri wanted to be able to talk to her about school. Help her with her homework. Give her advice on boys. Jeri just didn't feel close to her stepmother. She didn't feel like she could confide in her with those kinds of things.

She felt like she couldn't even ask her dad either. It was strange to talk to him about anything without thinking about her real mother.

Jeri's half brother, Masahiko, walked by the door with one of his toys. She sighed. She did like her brother. After all, they were blood even though they didn't have the same mother. But sometimes Jeri didn't know how to treat him because his mother was not _her _mother. He had traits that she didn't have or her mother. Jeri felt bad that she wasn't a good enough sister to him. But what could she do? Did her family expect her to swallow all of this? Her mother dies and is taken somewhere she can't go. Someplace she can't see. Her father gives her some sort of rubbish that a part of her will still be with them? Well where was she? And he marries some woman to take her mother's place? Did he think her mother was some old bike that he could replace?

"I'm sorry your mother died, Jeri," said her father's voice in her mind. "But I'll just marry again and you'll have a new mommy. How does that sound?"

Jeri groaned and shook her head, her eyes falling on the digi-egg. The same thing was happening again. First Takato drew Guilmon and he came alive. Takato became a tamer like Rika and Henry. Jeri got some stupid idea in her head that becoming a tamer herself would be great. Then Leomon appeared and she chased him around and tries to digi modify with Takato's digivice? What was she thinking?

Oh but things changed. Eventually Leomon did become her partner and she did get the chance to digimodify just once. She got all those damn cards for nothing!

They all went to the digital world to save Calumon and Impmon, someone they all thought was their friend, betrayed them. He digivovled and tried to kill them. He killed Leomon; right in front of them and Jeri…Jeri just stood there…and let it happen.

'Why didn't I do something?' she demanded herself. 'I was Leomon's tamer.'

She had stopped Takato and Guilmon from destroying Beelzemon. Was it the right thing? He would've been taken out of his misery. Justice would've been served.

But wait…that's not right. Impmon did have tamers. Why didn't his tamers do something? If they had just taken care of him he wouldn't have left.

Jeri groaned. Where was all this coming from? She couldn't go around blaming everybody else. Her mother was dead. Leomon was dead. What's done was done.

But what happened nearly caused the world to be destroyed and it was all her fault. She had allowed herself to become easy prey for the D-Reaper. Yes, Leomon died but digimon die all the time, right? It's in their data or something. They're always fighting and sooner or later they lose a fight. They get deleted and lose all their data. They all did stop the D-Reaper eventually.

Now the D-Reaper was back. It would only be a matter of time until it found her again. She shivered. She remembered how unpleasant it was to be its host. But she changed since then, hasn't she? Or was she still empty as ever?

Takato and the others were off to fight again. Takato thought drawing her a new digimon would help her feel better. He thought it would make her want to join them in the fight. But she didn't want a _new _digimon. She wanted Leomon. Didn't Takato understand? She knew she meant well, but just drawing a different digimon was not going to fill the void in her heart. Getting a new mother wasn't going to help either. Jeri pushed herself off the bed and paced the floor. She found her old sock pocket and put it on her hand.

"Sorry your mother is dead and gone Jeri but here's a new mother for you," Jeri said out of the corner of her mouth as she made her puppet's mouth move. Jeri recalled the time when her father Jigo announced that she was going to marry Satsuki. Jeri was so upset she had wanted to run away.

"I don't care," Jeri told her puppet. "Satsuki is not my mother. She did not give birth to me. She can never do the things the way my mother always did. I want _my _mother back."

"But Jeri, your mother is dead," her puppet said to her. "Dead and gone. It was her destiny. She's never coming back."

"Dad said there will be a part of her with us," said Jeri. "So is she with me still? Will I find her?"

"Maybe if you look hard enough."

Jeri groaned. "Leomon promised me he'd be with me too. But he's not."

"Sorry your partner is dead and gone Jeri but here's a new partner for you," she made her puppet speak as she thought of Takato holding the digi-egg. She thought of him drawing it and showing it to her.

"So what?" Jeri demanded. "I didn't ask Takato to draw me a new digimon. It's Leomon I want. He was my partner. Why did he leave me?"

"Because he was killed Jeri, you know that." Her puppet told her. "He was deleted and lost all his data. He's not coming back either."

"Why did he have to be deleted?"

"Destiny. Destiny. Destiny."

"I hate destiny," Jeri sighed.

"Yes and it's destiny that brought the D-Reaper back, Jeri," said her puppet again. "And it's not going to leave until it has you back."

"So should I just go and let it take me then so it will be over with?" Jeri asked her puppet. "Will it stop the fighting?"

"I don't know, Jeri. Maybe you could. But you've got a new digimon. You can fight it instead."

"I'm a terrible tamer," Jeri shook her head. "I can't fight. I'll just mess up all over again."

"Jeri," she heard her step mother's voice. "Lunchtime."

Jeri removed her sock puppet and placed it on her dresser. "I'm coming, Satsuki."

Jeri returned to her room after lunch to find that the egg making funny noises.

"What's with the egg?" she wondered out loud.

The egg jumped and Jeri took a step back, staring at the egg. "I don't believe it. It's hatching!"

A crack went around the top of the egg. Jeri came and squatted down to it, picking off the shell. She peeked inside but it was dark. Then there was a bounding noise as the digi-egg inside bounced to break the shell more. Jeri gasped and lost her balance, falling onto her back. She looked back up and in the midst of the broken shells was her new digimon. It looked like an orange all with ears and had blue eyes. It bounced up on the pillows.

"Who are you?" she inquired.

"Me?" said the digimon. "Why I am your digimon of course! Fire Botamon!"

"Fire Botamon?" Jeri asked, crawling to he new digimon. "Do you digivolve to a Leomon?"

"Leomon?" Fire Botamon inquired, blinking. "I don't know."

"I can't believe it," Jeri whispered. "I have a new partner. I'm a tamer again."

The Digimon Sovereigns' story was not a good one. When they fought the D-Reaper they were all nearly deleted. They did manage to slow it down and trap it inside a ravine. However, they became very and Azulongmon, the weakest of the four sovereign, had de-digivovled to the three ulitmates that digivolve to become him: Antylamon, Mihamon and Majiramon.

Many of the digimon left in the digiworld were destroyed and those that survived were hiding. The tamers searched where they could to find the survivors and put them to a safe place. The digimon sovereign did not think it was wise for the tamers to go and fight the D-Reaper yet but sometimes they had no choice as they found some chaos and D-Reaper agents on their rescue missions.

While the tamers were trying to get to the water to see if any digimon were still alive, an army of D-Reaper Agents stood between them with a river of chaos. An ADR3—Pendulum Feet—what looked lying a flying purple cloak with scythe-like legs swarmed toward them.

"Those agents are blocking our way," said Takato, "some digimon might be trapped there."

"So let's go through them," muttered Rika as she brought out her digivice. "Renamon!"

Ryo, Takato and Henry pulled out their digivices as well. They were going to have to biomerge to get tpast. "Biomerge activate!"

"Renamon digivolve to…Sakuyamon!"

"Terriermon digivovle to…MegaGargomon!"

"Monodramon digivovle to…Justimon!"

"Guilmon digivolve to…Gallantmon!"

"Spirit Strike!" Sakuyamon shouted., sending her attack to the agents.

The battle was over and they called to each other to see if they were all right. Henry had to ask him about five times.

"Takato! Hey!" Henry shouted. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Takato mumbled. "What?"

"I asked if you're all right," Henry called from inside MegaGargomon.

"Oh, I'm fine Henry!" he exclaimed.

Takato groaned and shook his head. He probably didn't have too bad of cuts and bruises but he felt horrible inside. He started wishing he hadn't given Jeri that digi-egg. He knew he had opened up a new wound by giving it to her. What was he thinking? Why did he have to draw that digimon he saw in his dream? Jeri was so angry. She'd probably never talk to him again. He even told her to join them in the fight. If she had decided to come then she'd have to see all this destruction. It would've reminded her of the time Leomon died.

"Jeri," he whispered, "please don't be mad at me. I was only trying to help. I only wanted to give you another chance.

"Well, I hope Kazu and the others are having better luck than we are." Ryo told them. "We still have to cover a lot of ground."

It seemed that the tamers left in the real world were safe for a time being. They hadn't seen many agents floating about or any chaos. Every so often there would be an agent around looking for digimon or something else to destroy. The Monster Makers were working hard on keeping digital gates closed while Kazu, Kenta, Ai, Mako and Suzie guarded the digital gate that was still open at Guilmon's hide out.

"It's been quiet," Lopmon said softly.

"Maybe the D-Reaper's given up?" said Kenta.

"I doubt it, chumly," Kazu muttered. "It didn't seem to give up much last time, did it? I bet it's just having trouble getting here."

"Should one of us warn Jeri?" Impmon questioned.

"She already knows its looking for her," Kazu told them. "She's got a digi-egg and once that thing hatches it can protect her. I'm not sure if there's anything else we can do."

"I wish she'd come and see us," Kenta said.

"I don't think she's very happy about having a new partner," Kazu groaned, glancing at Impmon. "C'mon, let's keep moving. We've got to keep an eye out for any more agents. This is so boring. I hope Ryo and the others are having more fun than we are."

As Jeri continued to take care of baby Fire Botamon, it seemed to fill the void in her heart that was a result of Leomon's death. She didn't want to get too attached to the digimon because she knew she'd have to let it go. She was only going to help it digivolve so it could hold its own.

Jeri woke up the next morning and raised her arms in a stretch. "Morning, Fire Bota—" she looked over at her new digimon's basket and found it missing. "Fire Botamon! Oh no!" she threw back the covers and leapt out of bed. She searched the basket.

"Fire Botamon, where are you?" she checked under her bed. There was nothing there. She checked her dresser, her closet everywhere but the baby digimon wasn't anywhere.

"Fire Botamon!" she went out of her room and started searching the bathroom. It wasn't there either. Jeri began to panic. Wher could it be? She had her digimon for two days and she already lost it. She knew something like this would happen. She just wasn't tamer material. Why didn't Takato take it back to the digital world with him?

Her brother's door opened and she turned. "Masahiko, have you seen, um, a digimon?"

"Digimon?"

"yes, it's a little—uh—orange ball with ears?" Jeri asked.

He shook her head. "No, it had a tail."

"You've seen it then?" Jeri inquired and then she grasped to what he said. "What, tail? Did it digivolve?"

"Yeah," he pointed in his room. "Come and see." He led her into his room.

On top of her half brother's bed was a digimon but it didn't look like Fire Botamon. It had a really fluffy head and a tail.

"What's it doing in your room?" Jeri demanded as she walked over to her digimon and picked it up. "Did you take it?"

"No." Masahiko shook his head.

"You'd better not be lying!" Jeri shouted.

"I didn't take it Jeri!" Masahiko whined. "It just came into my room."

"Don't be mad at him," said the in-training form of fire Botamon. "I felt that I was digivolving so I bounced out to explore. He picked me up and sat me on his bed. He was just on his way to get me something to eat."

"You shouldn't have left without telling me," Jeri muttered to her digimon. "Who are you now anyway?"

"I'm Fluffmon!" said her digimon happily.

"Good you're digivolving," Jeri whispered. "When you become rookie I'll take you back to the digital world."

"But…I thought we were partners," said Fluffmon sadly.

"Look, I can't be your tamer," Jeri told it firmly. "I'm sorry. You're here because my friend Takato drew you without my permission. I'm sure there's someone else out there than can take care of you better." She started to take it to her room.

"Wait, Jeri," Masahiko began. "I was going to play with it!"

"Digimon are not pets, Masahiko!" Jeri hissed. "That's not why they were created. Now don't come and try to take her out of my room okay? And Fluffmon—you are not to leave your basket—understand?"

"I think so," Fluffmon mumbled.

"Good," said Jeri. "Now I will go and you something to eat."

Jeri placed her digimon back on her basket and went to the kitchen to see what she could find. Masahiko peeked in her room to get a glance at Fluffmon. Fluffmon laid pathetically in her basket, wondering how she ended up with Jeri for a tamer. When was Jeri going to allow others into her heart? Was she ever going to be a real tamer before it was too late?

**TO BE CONTINUED**

So sorry for the late update! And I'm sorry this chapter is short. Usually my chapters are 7 to 12 pages long but I have major bad writers block! If anyone have any suggestions or know of good Tamer websites, please let me know, will you? I'll try to get on with the next chapter soon enough.

Here are Fluffmon's digivolutions. I'm trying to think of attacks. Tell me if you've got ideas:

Rookie: Kneazlemon (kinda like a small Gatomon without the tufts on ears. Yellow speckled with orange spots.

Champion: Leonemon. A female version of Leomon, but I'm not sure how to do her outfit. Maybe a sports bra with shorts or maybe jeans.

Ultimate: Mantimon, lion-like mythical creature with a human's face and a scorpion's tail or tail of darts. It might be evil, but, I think it's a cool description as some lion-like creatures are rare.

Mega/biomerge: Isismon. Not sure about her outfit, but it's like a sphinx only she's on two legs instead of four. Somewhat like a lion version of Sakuyamon as they're both Egyptian. Dobermon's maga (Anubismon) looks like this too, pretty cool.

Oh and by the way, Alice is going to play a big part in the story by talking Jeri into helping in on the fight. Should I try to find a way to bring back Dobermon? If all 3 of the girls get to biomerge with their digimon it might look cool with their Egyptian god-like outfits you know. Well, tell me what you think. I'm trying to figure everything out!


	4. Another Chance

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. Thanks to Racco (from mediaminer) and MGM Pyrolion (from for Kneazlemon's attacks.

* * *

Return of D-Reaper 4

Another Chance

Jeri neglected her new digimon partner except for the times she gave it food. Sometimes it refused to eat so it wouldn't digivolve. It didn't want to be sent to the Digital World during this adverse time. It wasn't created just to be sent back, was it? It deserved a tamer just like any other digimon out there. Wasn't that why Takato took the trouble to draw the egg and the baby digimon? He waned to give Jeri another chance. He didn't want to remind her of what she lost.

While all of this happened, the other tamers were facing trouble with the D-Reaper's Agents. Kazu and Kenta did their best to stop them but without the power to Biomerge with their digimon they didn't have much luck. The monster makers were working on finding the secret to Biomerging so they could help Kazu and the others. It seemed that something had to happen between the tamer and their partner to allow them to biomerge like it did with Takato and the others. It didn't make any sense. Kazu and Kenta were tamers too. Why couldn't they biomerge? What did they have to do? Were Takato and the others just simply stronger than they were?

As more D-Reaper Agents approached the tamers and their digimon, Guardomon was hit by one of the Pendulum feet, a flying purple cloak with scythe-like legs.

"Guardromon!" Kazu exclaimed.

"Oh dear me," the robot digimon muttered in surprise as he lost date, causing him to de-digivolve into Hagurumon. He now looked like three gears welded together.

"What the?" Hagurumon wondered out loud.

"We've got to keep our digimon away from them," said Kenta. "Or…they could be destroyed!"

"Man, if only we can biomerge with our digimon!" Kazu grunted.

"KAHUNA WAVES!" Marine Angemon shouted and great waves of water knocked some of the Agents back.

Antylamon jumped forward and leashed her attack. "BUNNY BLADE!"

The attack destroyed the Pendulum Feet and Beelzemon topped off his own attack. "DOUBLE IMPACT!"

"There is just so many of them!" Ai cried.

* * *

The Tamers did not know that Jeri was watching this battle on the news. Jeri let out a sigh and wondered why all of this was happening. Well, it was obvious. It was all her fault. She let herself become an easy target for the D-Reaper and now the world was going to suffer all over again. She had to let them take care of this. They were going to have to be the ones to stop it. If she got involved she'll just mess up over again.

"Fluffmon won't eat," she said softly. "She knows she had to digivolve so I can take her back to the digital world." She took some food with her to the room and found her digimon looking out the window, still in her in-training form.

"What are you looking at?" Jeri demanded.

"I know your friends are fighting, Jeri," Fluffmon answered. "When are we going to help them?"

"We're not," Jeri muttered. "I already told you this. I just need you to digivolve into Rookie so I can bring you back to the digital world."

"They need our help."

"They can handle it," Jeri muttered. "Here, I want you to eat this."

"I'm not hungry," her digimon hissed.

"Don't you want to digivolve?" Jeri asked. "Isn't that what Digimon were created for?"

"Maybe," said Fluffmon, "but I wasn't. I was created so I can be your partner."

"I don't need a new partner," Jeri said coldly.

The doorbell rang. Jeri shouted for someone to answer the door and when no one did it, she groaned and went to do it herself. She was surprised to see Alice McCoy standing in her doorway.

"Alice McCoy?" Jeri mumbled. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to see you," Alice answered. "May I come in, please?"

"Suit yourself,' Jeri sighed, nodding inside and Alice walked in. Jeri closed the door and led her to her room so they could speak privately. Fluffmon glanced up at Alice.

"Good," Alice said, "I came in time."

"Time for what?" Jeri questioned.

"I knew you'd be planning to bring your digimon back to the digital world soon," Alice said, turning to her.

"Takato told you this?"

"Yes," Alice replied. "I've come to stop you."

"You can't stop me, Alice," Jeri muttered. "I'm doing it, unless you want to take her back!"

"My father didn't create this digimon just so you can throw it back!" Alice hissed, pointing at Fluffmon. She cleared her throat. "You're making a mistake. You have to be her tamer."

"I never asked for a new partner," Jeri said.

"I know you didn't," Alice said. "But Takato thought it might make you happy. He wanted to give you another chance to be a tamer so why don't you use it?"

"I don't deserve to be a tamer," Jeri said, "Don't you see? It's my fault that the D-Reaper is back."

"So why don't you do something about it and fight back?" Alice demanded. "You're such a coward!"

Jeri gasped and stepped back. "I'm—I'm not…" She looked down and sighed. "You're right, I am a coward. But I can't fight, I don't know how. Why don't you be Fluffmon's tamer? I'm sure your dad's told you everything there is to know about digimon."

"Not exactly," Alice answered. "I wasn't really interested in that stuff until I met Dobermon."

"I see," Jeri said, "well, maybe this is the second chance you deserve."

"Dobermon and I weren't partners," Alice said firmly. "I was never his tamer. I was his guide. I only had to lead him to the tamers so he could help them biomerge here."

"He was never your partner?" Jeri asked, "You didn't even have a digivice?"

Alice shook her head. "I did what I was supposed to do. It wasn't easy to watch but Dobermon had a job to do. The Sovereign sent him down here for a purpose, not to play with me. Digimon aren't just pets…"

"I know that," Jeri interrupted.

"And they're not just data either," Alice added, nodding to Fluffmon. "They are guardians, messengers, servants, even _partners_. The D-Reaper won't stop until it has you again and it will only be a matter of time until it finds you. We didn't just create this digimon to give you another chance, but to keep you protected. I bet you've been forcing it to digivolve so you can return it home, haven't you?"

"Well, I," Jeri muttered, "what if I have?"

"Jeri Katou, listen to me," Alice stepped forward, "You have been given another chance. You can do the things you've always wanted to do as a tamer with Leomon when you didn't have the chance. You can fight along side your digimon in a purpose. You can't just send it back to the digital world. It was created for you. At least let her protect you until this is over, go join the others and stop D-Reaper before it gets you."

"The others…"

"Haven't you been watching the news?" Alice demanded. "They can't do all of this by themselves! The other tamers are probably in more danger in the Digital World. You can't just sit here feeling sorry for yourself. You've got to do _something! _ Is this the thanks the Monster Makers get for creating you a new partner?"

Jeri gulped. "Look, I'm sorry but I--,"

"Time is running out," Alice said, "Unless you do something the world would be destroyed. You might be the only person that can stop the D-Reaper!"

"_Me_?" Jeri demanded, falling into her chair in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Because you were a prisoner," Alice said desperately, "You were inside it. You had to learn how it worked. No one else knows. You can help us beat it for good this time, Jeri."

"I, I don't know," Jeri stammered, "I don't think I can do it. I'm sorry."

Alice paused. "Fine, be that way. I should've known you wouldn't listen to me."

"Come on," Jeri said, "did you expect it to be easy for me?"

"It's not a question of what's easy, Jeri," Alice answered, "It's a question what's right. I'll let myself out." She turned and left Jeri in her room, causing her to feel worse than she already was.

* * *

Kazu and the others were having a meeting with the Monster Makers. Kazu wanted to learn how he could biomerge with Hagurumon like Takato and Guilmon but in order to do that he would have to become data like his digimon.

"As you're flesh and blood," Mr. Wong said, "and Hagurumon is data you can't biomerge here."

"But can't you find a way to make us data?" Kazu inquired. "Make us a new card or something?"

"Yeah," Kenta added. "I know MarineAngemon is already Mega…but maybe he'd be stronger if we biomerged."

"Well," Babel said, stroking his goatee, "maybe."

"What about Suzie and the other two?" Lopmon asked. "As they are so young, Biomerging may be too dangerous for them. I can become mega on my own somehow."

"The red card," said Daisy, "the one we gave to Takato—you can use it to biomerge and fight inside the D-Reaper—if it comes here."

"Yeah, but the problem is," said Kenta, "Takato probably still has it."

"We'll make another," said Daisy. "Leave it to us."

* * *

It was not easy for Jeri to sleep that night. She kept dreaming about the D-Reaper and the time she was inside it. J-Reaper was talking to her in Jeri's voice.

"You cannot escape, Jeri Katou," it said maliciously. "We've learned much about humans from you. Humans are inferior, weak and must be eliminated!"

"You're wrong!" Jeri shouted. "You don't understand how I feel. I lost someone close to me and just because I feel miserable doesn't mean the whole world must be destroyed!"

"It does not matter," J-Reaper said, "Soon there will be nothing left of Planet Earth. You cannot fight it. There is nothing you can do. We are back again and this time we won't fail."

"No!" Jeri exclaimed. "I won't let you do this! I'll do whatever it takes!"

It laughed. "Resistance is futile."

"I'll stop you," Jeri muttered, "Somehow!"

"No!" Jeri sat bolt right in bed and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "What am I going to do? Do I have what it takes to stop it?"

"Jeri," said Fluffmon over in the corner, "what is it?"

"I—it's nothing," Jeri lied. "Just go to bed."

"Did think over what you and Alice talked about yesterday?" Fluffmon asked. "Aren't you going to take her advice?"

"No," Jeri replied coolly. "I didn't ask her for her advice."

"Jeri," Fluffmon moaned. "What about the others? You can't let them do this all on their own."

"Yes I can," Jeri said, laying back. "Now go to sleep."

Fluffmon sighed and curled around in her basket. It was no use. Jeri wasn't giving any thought to what the others were trying to tell her. What was it going to take to make her join in the fight?

When she woke up the next morning she found Fluffmon quivering in her basket. Her new yellow d-power was glowing. "What's happening? Are you digivolving?"

"I—I feel strange," Fluffmon muttered.

"FLUFFMON DIGIVOLVE TO…"

Fluffmon was surrounded in a yellow digital sphere. Her skin came off, revealing the layer of digital matter underneath. Then new skin and fur began to grow on her body, making her larger. She looked like a Gatomon only she was yellow with orange speckles and no tufts on her ears. She had a tail of a lion with no tail ring. She had amber eyes.

"KNEAZLEMON!"

"Wow," Jeri moaned, staring at her now Rookie level digimon. "You look really cute." She gasped and stopped herself from going any further. She shouldn't let herself get attached to Kneazlemon. She had to take her back to the digital world. She could help the others once she got there.

"Well," Jeri said slowly, "we should best get going. Come on."

Knealzemon lowered her yellow head. "Yes, I know."

Within ten minutes of their journey to Guilmon's old hiding place, they were detected by ADR2 agents known as searchers. They were large and purple with what looked like a CD in their middle. Their wings had eye-like images on them. Jeri gasped and stepped back.

"No!" she cried. "D-Reaper agents, they've found me!"

"Then let's send them to lost and found," Kneazlemon hissed, running forward.

"Kneazlemon, no!" Jeri yelled. "Come back!"

Knealzemon did not listen. Whether Jeri didn't want her or not, Jeri was Kneazlemon's partner and she had to protect her. Kneazlemon leapt up, held out her paws and extracted long claws.

"BLAZE CLAW!"

A flame from each claw caused one of the Searchers to lose a wing. Jeri watched in surprise.

"Knealzemon? Why?"

"I couldn't let them take you," Knealzemon told her partner.

"Enough!" Jeri yelled, "I can't let you fight! NO fighting!"

"I have to!" Knealzemon hissed, "it's what I was programmed for. CAT SCRATCH FEVER!"

As more D-Reaper agents approached, Knealzemon jumped to the nearest one and scratched it all over. There was what sounded like a moan of pain from the agent. Jeri pulled out her D-Arc to analyze her digimon some more.

"Her Cat Scratch Fever attack infects her opponent with a virus!" Jeri read. "She made the agent sick!" She laughed as he looked up and the agent was now covered in green spots. Jeri felt a wave of excitement come over her. This was how it was with her and Leomon. Watching it fight, modifying it with modify cards, fighting for a purpose.

"Modify cards," Jeri said, looking in her yellow purse. She gasped. No. She left them at home under her bed as she hoped never to use them again. What if Knealzemon needed a card? There was no way a Rookie digimon could take on all these agents by herself.

"Kneazlemon!" Jeri called. "We have to go back. I don't have any modify cards to make you stronger!"

Knealzemon took a few steps backward. She didn't like the idea of running from the fight but her tamer did have a point. Without any modify cards she wouldn't have much of a chance. The agents weren't like ordinary digimon.

"All right," Knealzemon said, "Just one more…BLAZE CLAW!"

After knocking another agent back, Knealzemon turned and joined her Tamer in the run for safety. Jeri ran as quickly as she could and her partner was right at her heels. She was gasping for breath and her chest felt like it was on fire. She needed to stop and catch her breath but she couldn't. The agents were right behind her. They were going to capture her all over again.

"No!" Jeri wheezed, out of breath from running for her life. "Not again. Help, someone!"

Just as she passed an alley, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her inside.

"Let me go!" Jeri cried.

"It's me!" said a voice.

"Huh, Kazu?" She blinked and saw Kenta with the other tamers behind them.

"Nice to see you again, Jeri," Kazu grinned. "Where've you been? How come you haven't—hey—who is this?" He looked down at Knealzemon. "Is this the digimon Takato gave you? Last time I saw it, it was an egg!"

"Yeah," Jeri said softly. "That's Knealzemon, I was going to return her to the digital world once she became Rookie but we were attacked!"

"Don't worry, Jeri," Kazu insisted, "we'll take it from here!"

"Stay out of sight," Kenta said, "we don't want to risk them taking you again."

"Oh, okay," Jeri said, picking up Knealzemon. "Be careful, guys."

Kazu turned to Hagurumon, "ready? Let's go!"

He led his mechanical digimon out of the alley to face off with the agents. "We're not gonna let you take Jeri this time so go back where you came from! DIGI-MODIFY…HYPER WING ACTIVATE!"

Blue wings appeared on the two side gears of Hagurumon, levitating him in the air. "COG CRUSHER!"

He sent his attack to the agent, making it fall down. Recruits swarmed around them and knocked Hagurumon down, losing its wings.

"No!" Kazu exclaimed.

"This isn't going well," said Hagurumon.

"Kazu," Kenta said, "try that new card the Monster Makers made us!"

"Oh yeah!" Kazu reached in his pocket and pulled out a red card. "Well, they worked all night on this present; it'd be a shame to waste it!" He swiped the card with this d-arc followed by Kenta.

"DIGI-MODIFY! BIOMERGE ACTIVATE!"

"I don't believe it!" Jeri moaned as she watched Kenta and Kazu biomerge with their digimon. "They're Biomerging!"

"HAGURUMON DIGIVOLVE TO…"

Kazu was surrounded by metal, wires and data. He stood in an orange data sphere. Hagurumon's body grew welded with in destructive metal. Iron screws were screwed into his knee caps. His left shoulder looked like a red head with a spike through it with a similar blue one on the right. Its arms were huge, ending in long claw like fingers. Two swords appeared on its back and a helmet came down on his face.

"HI ANDROMON!"

"GOMAMON DIGIVOLVE TOO…"

After becoming one with the rookie form of Marine Angemon, Gomamon, Kenta was was dunked

into the sea. Gomamon's flippers grew and the water changed it into a large tail of a fish. The wings of manta ray appeared on its back with the stings attached to his elbows. An electric eel was coiled around his torso. A helmet of seashells came down on its aqua-green head.

"POSIDONMON!"

"Hey, it worked!" Kazu shouted in excitement. "Let's see what we can do!"

"All right," said Kenta, "come on, Gomamon!" Posidonmon whipped out his arms to unleash the stings. "LASHING STINGS!"

The stings swarmed over to the nearest agent and sent a powerful sting inside it. Its power drained, Posidomon tossed it aside.

"My turn," said Kazu, "ATOMIC RAY!"

He held out his hands and sent a huge blast of energy which took out half of the agents. "This is so cool!" said Kazu.

"I know," said Hagurumon, "why didn't we do this earlier?"

* * *

After the battle with the agents, they went to speak with the Monster Makers to give a report. They were glad that the red card worked again and they were most pleased that Kazu and the others found Jeri when they did.

"Are you still planning on taking Knealzemon to the digital world, Jeri?" Mr. Wong asked.

Jeri looked at her new partner and then to Mr. Wong. She shook her head.

"What changed your mind?" Daisy inquired.

"Well, you did go all this trouble just to give me a second chance," Jeri said, a small smile appearing on her usually cute face. "After seeing what Knealzemon could do, I'd be very ungrateful if I didn't keep her. I still wish none of this happened."

"So do we, Jeri," said Mr. Yamaki, "but wishing isn't really going to help us much. We have to keep fighting the D-Reaper until it's stopped."

"I know," Jeri sighed, "What about Takato and the others? Are they all right?"

"We're trying to keep contact with them," Mr. Yamaki answered. "It's difficult as they are in the digital world but they are still alive. They are trying to repair the damage the D-Reaper caused to the Digital World."

"What can we do here?" Jeri asked.

"We're trying to come up with a plan," said Mr. Wong. "Since you were inside the D-Reaper, you may know some secrets that we don't. We hoped that you could help us with that."

"I'll try," Jeri said slowly. "What do you want to know? Besides how scary it was inside there?"

The monster makers ran a few tests on Jeri to see if she may had extracted any chaos in her body. She tried telling them what she could about the D-Reaper but as she explained her story it really didn't make any sense. How could that possibly help them stop the D-Reaper besides knowing that being its prisoner was the worst thing that could happen?

* * *

Takato and the others were having a meeting in the castle of Zhuquiamon.

"I hope the others are having better luck than we are," Ryo sighed. "Good thing we didn't bring them along with us."

"I know," Rika added, "Let's hurry up and nail this thing. I want to get home."

""We're trying," said Takato, "but it's a lot easier said than done."

"Yeah, I remember," Rika groaned.

"You've saved most of the digimon," said Zhuqiamon, "most of us, unfortunately, are too weak to fight the D-Reaper. I am ashamed to admit that the strongest of digimon to fight would be the ones with tamers." He growled in his disgust. He learned to accept the human children helping but he was too proud to believe that humans, beings outside his world could be stronger than most digimon.

"We need you to fight it from within," Zhuqiamon continued, "before it becomes stronger. It is feeding from the data in our world. If it finds a host, I am afraid it would only get stronger."

"Host?" Takato gasped, 'you mean, like Jeri?"

"Yes," Zhuqiamon answered, "that is the reason why it returned. It wants a host. It was Jeri."

"Well, we've got to stop it then!" Takato exclaimed, getting to his feet. "We can't let it get Jeri."

"We know," Henry said softly, "we've been doing our best to keep the D-Reaper from leaving the Digital World. But we know it already sent out its agents looking for her."

Zhuqiamon suddenly began roaring. The tamers gasped in shock.

"What is it?" Rika inquired.

"The D-reaper has located us!" Zhuqiamon cried. "I can feel it!"

The tamers ran out of the castle to face the D-Reaper and its many agents. A sea of Chaos surrounded them.

"Better biomerge quickly," said Rika, "before they wreck the place!"

"BIOMERGE ACTIVATE!"

"GUILMON DIGIVOLVE TO…GALLANTMON!"

"TERRIERMON DIGIVOLVE TO…MEGA GARGOMON!"

"MONODROMON DIGIVOLVE TO…JUSTMON!"

"RENAMON DIGIVOLVE TO…SAKUYAMON!"

"We won't let you win!" Guilmon and Takato shouted together. "SHIELD OF THE JUST!"

The blast deleted many of the agents while the other megas sent their attacks. A couple of Horn Strikers, green humanide agents with horns swarmed around Gallantmon. Gallantmon used his Lightning Joust attack to protect himself. Many agents and chaos merged together to form a Parasite Head, large pink thing with yellow talking mouths in the voice of Jeri.

"I don't understand," said Rika, "how can it still speak in Jeri's voice?"

"I suppose its in its memory," said Henry.

"Foolish humans," said the Parasite Head, "you underestimate us. Once we get our host Jeri Katou back we can continue our mission to delete the human race."

"You can forget it!" Takato shouted. "I won't let you go anywhere near Jeri!"

A hand came out of the side of the Parasite head, grabbed Gallantmon and smashed him into the ground.

"Oh no!" Rika exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," Takato grunted.

"Do not try to stop us, human."

"What if you took me instead?" Takato demanded.

"No!" the three tamers inside their digimon shouted in disagreement.

"You can't!" Rika pleaded, "Takato, don't be stupid!"

"Take you?" said the D-Reaper.

"Takato," Guilmon said slowly, "I don't think this is such a good idea."

"I don't think there's much of a choice, Guilmon," Takato said as Gallantmon pushed himself up. "Look, D-Reaper, you need a host, right? Well it won't be Jeri so you might as well take me! Either you take me or we defeat you here and now!"

Loosing power, Galantmon divided back to Takato and Guilmon. Takato stared up at D-Reaper.

"You can't fight if you give yourself up, Takato!" Henry said. "WE don't let you!"

"Just stay out of this!" Takato snapped and he approached the D-Reaper. "Just take me now, D-Reaper. I'm yours to do with what you will. I don't care what happens to me but you will not harm Jeri!"

"But Takato!" Guilmon protested, reaching for his tamer.

"Sorry, Guilmon," Takato muttered, tears flowing from his eyes. "There's no other way."

The tendrils of the Parasite head took hold of Takato. Sakuyamon raised her arms to attack but MegaGargomon stopped her.

"No!" he said. "You might hurt Takato!"

"Sorry guys," Takato told them as he was pulled into a red bubble, "it's the way it has to be!"

The three megas stood in shock. The D-Reaper has found a new host. What were they going to do now?

TO BE CONTINUED

Gah, so sorry this update's so late! Such a hard story to write. The next chapter might be the last. By the way, HiAndromon's attack is real but I don't know its effect. I found this information on the Digital Empire. It's a cool site. Check it out!


	5. Playing Host

Return of D-Reaper 5

Playing Host

"You are such a fool, Takato Matsuda," the D-Reaper told its new host, "to give yourself to us."

"I did it to keep you away from Jeri," Takato muttered as it paced inside his unearthly cage, "I'm not going to let you capture her again."

"How do you except to do that when you are here?" it demanded.

"My friends will stop you," Takato said fiercely, "for good this time!"

"Your behavior is much different than that of Jeri Katou. We don't sense the constant feeling of misery and despair—longing to be eliminated."

"You are wrong!" Takato snapped, "Jeri isn't like that. You took her at a time when she lost her digimon partner. That made her upset. I won't believe for a minute she wished to be dead."

"You were not here when she tried to take her life."

"What?"

"She knew we were using her. That she was the reason the world was going to be eliminated. She said if she wasn't alive anymore then the world would be better. She is most right."

"You lie!" Takato cried. "The world would not be better without Jeri. _Not mine!"_

The D-Reaper laughed. "It does not matter. Jeri Katou gave us the necessary energy to defeat your world. But you don't."

"That's because I'm feeling different emotions, D-Reaper," Takato said hotly, "I'm not depressed and I'm not thinking the world is going to end."

"Then we would just have to make you feel that way, won't we?" said the D-Reaper.

"Go ahead and try," Takato muttered.

"Or, we can use your connection to Jeri as our advantage."

A mound of tendrils lifted up, forming a humanoid body. Takato stared in shock as it took on a perfect mirror image of him.

"That's…me," Takato mumbled.

"We did something similar with Jeri," Takato's double replied, in his voice mingled with Jeri's. It sounded very disturbing. "We sense a powerful _connection _between you and Jeri. We will use that to our advantage."

"You tricked me!" Takato took a step forward and the tendrils bounded his legs to keep him from coming any closer. "You led me into a trap!"

"We didn't really know how strong this connection was until you gave yourself to us. Nor did we know you would give yourself to us so we haven't made a trap. This has turned out quite nicely for us"

"You're going to use me to get to Jeri?" Takato demanded. "Then let me go! I've got to warn her!"

"No, you stay here and relax," the T-Reaper grinned devilishly; "_we _will go and see Jeri!"

"Stay away from her!" Takato barked.

Laughing, the D-Reaper morphed back into the tendrils, sank through the cage and out to the world to find Jeri. Takato tried to break free but the D-Reaper's tentacles wrapped around him head to toe, pulling him into the wall.

"Guys, it's a trap!" Takato called out, believing somehow that Henry and the others would hear him. "They're going to go after Jeri! You have to warn her. JERI!"

* * *

But Henry and the others had no idea Takato was trying to call for them. They were trying to contact Hypnos and the others for help. There was no way they could save Takato with the three of them. However, they were having much difficulty getting through.

"Still no luck?" Rika asked.

"Yeah," Henry moaned, "we just can't get through."

"This is crazy!" Rika exclaimed. "What are we going to do? Just sit here and let the D-Reaper take over everything?"

"Of course not," said Ryo, "we'll just have to find another way to get help. Maybe the D-Reaper's causing this."

"We might have to go back through the digiport," Henry suggested, "if it's still there."

"I wonder if Takato's okay," Guilmon whispered, "I can't protect him if he's in there."

"Momentai, Guilmon," said Terriermon.

"C'mon," Rika urged, "I can't stand it anymore. Let's try and get back to Earth before the D-Reaper does!"

* * *

The Monster Makers were gathering information from Kneazlemon about her data. They wanted to make sure she was a strong enough digimon against D-Reaper. They were rather amazed with their handiwork and wondered what her digivolutions would be like. They studied Jeri as well and made cat scans and other sorts of test to see how a human can live within the D-Reaper.

Jeri didn't understand how this was able to help anything. While she was taking all these weird tests Takato and the others were in the Digital World fighting the D-Reaper all on their own. What if they didn't succeed? What if they never come back? She never got the chance to tell Takato how she felt about him.

Jeri realized that she had to fight the D-Reaper and help the others. There was no point in denying that the D-Reaper had returned. Takato had designed Kneazlemon and the Monster Makers made her real. After witnessing Kneazlemon protect her, Jeri had to let Kneazlemon join the fight. However, Jeri was only half-hearted about it. She still didn't' want Kneazlemon to fight. She wanted to take her back to the digital world. But what would be the point? The D-Reaper would just delete her anyway. She just wished things could be different.

After much persuasion and nagging from Kazu and the others, Jeri gave in and let Kneazlemon spar with the other tamers' digimon for practice. Kazu wanted to know what kind of moves and attacks Kneazlemon could do. Jeri thought it was useless. She didn't have time to play games. However, it was a good way for her to practice as well. She totally forgot how to digimodify. Of course, she had only done it _once. _She was never a real tamer anyway. She would need to know how to use what cards whenever a crisis would arise.

"Your digimon's fast, Jeri!" Kenta exclaimed. "Look at her go!"

"Yeah," Jeri said, "well, I used a speed card…"

"You didn't have to," Kenta insisted, "she's fast enough."

"Is playing around like this really going to make a difference?" Jeri wondered aloud.

"Of course, Jeri," Kazu said, "the little munchkins could use the practice too." He nodded over to Suzie and the other kids with their digimon.

"Did ya call my pahtnhas munchkins?" Impmon demanded.

"Yeah," said Kazu, "but that's a good thing."

"Oh, well, okay," said Impmon.

"I wonder how Takato and the others are," Jeri said, "you think they're all right?"

"Of course, Jeri," Kenta said good naturedly. "They've been tamers longer than we have. They'll be back in no time. Once they top the D-Reaper in the digital world, everything will be back to normal over here."

"One more go," said Kazu, "Knealzemon and Lopmon."

"Lopmon was a deva," Jeri said softly.

"It's all right," said Lopmon, "just like Kazu said. Suzie would enjoy the practice."

"You sure, Suzie?" Jeri inquired.

"Let's go!" said little Suzie enthusiastically. "I want to be great tamer, like Henwee!"

"Right," Jeri sighed, "ready, Kneazlemon?"

"Ready."

"Digimon to the line," said Kazu in a referee like voice. Lopmon and Kneazlemon stepped to the line Kazu had drawn on the ground.

"Tamers, get your get digivices."

Jeri frowned and Suzie laughed excitedly as they reached for their digivices.

"Aaaand—BATTLE!"

As Lopmon sent her Blazing Ice attack, Kneazlemon ducked low to the ground to avoid it, narrowingly missing her ears. Kneazlemon rolled away and lifted her claws.

"BLAZE CLAW!"

Lopmon was also quick on her little bunny toes. She ran to the side and dodged the attack.

"Yay, Lopmon!" Suzie cried.

"TINY TWISTER!"

Kneazlemon wasn't so quick this time. The twister caught her in mid jump and brought her down. Luckily she landed on her feet.

"Cats always do land on their feet," Kneazlemon said playfully.

"Use a modify card, Suzie," Jeri suggested.

"Oh, okay," Suzie whispered, "which one should I use…?"

"Anything!" Kazu exclaimed, "just pick something!"

Suzie reached into her little purse and flipped through her collection of modify cards. She didn't have very many to choose from.

"I think your brother has most of the cards," Kenta said.

"I'll use…this on," said Suzie and picking out the card she needed she prepared to card slash. "Digi modify! POWER ACTIVATE!"

Swirls of data came to Suzie's rookie digimon, making her stronger. Knealzemon stepped back and looked at her tamer.

"Wait, Knealzemon," said Jeri.

"BLAZING ICE!"

Lopmon blew a shower of ice crystals at Kneazlemon. Kneazlemon reared up her claws. "BLAZE CLAW!"

Her attack melted most of the ice away and Kneazlemon didn't have enough time to jump out of the way to avoid the rest of the ice. They pierced her arms and made her fall down.

"Oh no!" Suzie cried, "I'm sorry!"

"It's all right," Jeri said softly, "Kneazlemon will be fine."

Kneazlemon shook her body and arched her back as she got back to her feet. "Nice work, Lopmon."

"I hope I didn't do too much harm," Lopmon anticipated.

"I'll be okay," Kneazlemon said roughly. She looked up at her tamer, wondering why she let her lose. All Jeri had to do was slash a card and Kneazlemon stopped Lopmon's attack. "Shall we try again?"

"No, let's go home," Jeri answered, "I think we've had enough practice for one day. Come on, Kneazlemon."

"See ya, Jeri," Kazu said.

"Yeah."

Jeri walked off with Kneazlemon at her heels.

"Why didn't you use a card on me?" Kneazlemon asked her tamer.

"I didn't think you'd need one," Jeri said, "and besides, Suzie is just a little kid. I wanted to go easy on her."

"Jeri, you can't go easy on everyone," Kneazlemon hissed, "they'll take advantage of you. You don't expect go easy on the D-Reaper, do you?"

"Of course not!" Jeri retorted, stopping dead and looking at her new partner in disbelief. "Look, Kneazlemon, the D-Reaper is very dangerous. We're going to stop it. But we don't have to destroy Lopmon to prove it. It was only practice anyway. It wasn't a real battle."

"How do you expect us to prepare for real battles unless you take them seriously?" Kneazlemon inquired.

Jeri didn't reply. She wasn't sure exactly how to answer it. She was still in denial that it was all happening.

"I…I dunno, Kneazlemon," Jeri said finally, "I'm sorry, okay? I just didn't want to hurt Suzie's feelings. She's just a little kid."

Kneazlemon turned and perked up her ears, "Jeri, I hear something."

"I don't hear anything," Jeri stated.

"I do," Kneazlemon insisted and she sniffed the air. "Something's coming this way…"

The bushes rattled and Jeri turned. Out stepped Takato, looking quite unlike himself. He was still wearing the same clothes he wore the day he left for the digital world but there was something strange in his eyes.

"Takato?" Jeri asked.

"Jeri."

"What are you doing here?" Jeri inquired, "Where's Rika and the others? Are they with you?"

She started walking to Takato and Kneazlemon looked on, trying to put the things together. When Jeri got closer to Takato, he grabbed her wrist quite hard.

"Takato," Jeri whispered, "what is it? Ouch! You're hurting me!"

"You can't hide from us, Jeri Katou," Takato said, his voice full with malice.

"Jeri, get away!" Kneazlemon cried. "That's not your friend!"

"Takato, what's the matter with you?" Jeri inquired.

"We've come back," said Takato.

"No," Jeri said, "the D-Reaper—you've got—you've got Takato, don't you? You've copied him and took his voice—just like you did to me!"

She wrenched her hand out of the fake Takato's grip. "If you hurt Takato, I'll make you pay!"

"Oh, we haven't hurt him," the T-Reaper said idly. He's sitting peacefully back at the D-Reaper's nest."

Kneazlemon stepped in front of her tamer protectively and attacked the ADR posing as Takato. "CAT SCRATCH FEVER!"

The D-Reaper agent, easily deflected Kneazlemon's attack. "You can't stop me."

"Don't be so sure of that," Jeri said, pulling out a card, "the _real _Takato made her! Let's show him what you've got, Kneazlemon!"

"Sounds good to me!" Kneazlemon exclaimed.

Jeri swiped the card in her digivice, "Digi modify—DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

DIGIVOLUTION.

"Kneazlemon digivolve too…"

The outer layer of Kneazlemon's body removed itself, showing the many yellow criss-crossed lines of data making her up. She stretched out on hind legs and her body began growing as more data was added to her. After the data lines shaped her new figure, a new layer of skin and appeared. The orange speckles were gone and now her body was orange-yellow. She now looked like a female version of Leomon with a human-like lion face with green eyes and short spiky orange-red hair. She wore black jeans with the stitches on the sides revealing skin and a red midriff top. Like Leomon, she had a number of belts on her arm. Only the belts were red and they were on her left arm. Her claws were red and the tufts of her ears were yellow. Around her neck she wore a necklace resembling Leomon's. Instead of only having one peicred ear like Leomon, both ears were pierced with two hoops. On her lower back she kept a short curved sword called a scimitar. The champion version of Kneazlemon finished her digivolution, glaring at T-Reaper.

"LEONEMON!"

"You look," Jeri whispered, "so much like Leomon!"

"There are more things in common besides our appearance, love," Leonemon said in a British accent.

She ran toward the T-Reaper and threw a powerful punch into his stomach. He skidded about five feet, bringing up earth and rock. Jeri began shuffling through her cards, ready to digi-modify when Leonemon needed it.

"Take him down, Leonemon!" Jeri commanded.

Leonemon jumped up and stretched her powerful leg out in a kick to the head. The ADR reaper had barely enough time to block it.

"Let's see you block this!" Leonemon exclaimed, a sword appearing in her hand. "FIRESTORM SWORD!"

She slashed the sword multiple times and huge balls of fire fell from the sky like meteorites, landing all around the T-Reaper. One hit im in the shoulder and he let out a yelp.

"Get him!" Jeri cried, running behind her partner, digivice in one hand and a card in the other. "Finish him off!"

"Gladly," Leonemon muttered, raising her sword and preparing to run the T-Reaper through. Then without warning, more ADR came to the T-Reaper's aid. "What?"

"Look out!" Jeri warned, "I gotta do something." She slashed the card she had in her hand. "DIGI MODIFY! HYPERWING ACTIVATE!"

A pair of dragonfly-like wings appeared on Leonmone's back and she took flight. "FIRESTORM SWORD!"

A few of the ADR caught fire and were destroyed. T-Reaper looked around him and decided to leave.

"I'll leave you for now, Jeri," he muttered, "but we'll meet again soon. _I know where you live."_

Jeri shuddered and tightened her hand around her digivice. "N-no…"

With a smirk, the T-Reaper left with the other ADR.

Seeing the fire falling from the sky and knowing that a battle was taking place, the remaining tamers ran to see if Jeri was all right. Kazu stopped dead.

"Look, it's a Lady Leonemon!" he cried.

"No way," said Kenta, "it's a—a—Leowomon."

"You're both wrong," Jeri said, "her name's Leonemon."

"Leonemon?" Kenta and Kazu said together.

"I'm sorry, Jeri," said Leonemon, "I didn't mean to let him leave."

"Who?" Mako asked.

"Something's horrible has happened!" Jeri said tearfully. "The D-Reaper has Takato!"

"Takato?" Kazu inquired in shock. "How? What happened?"

"I don't know!" Jeri retorted and she wiped her tears away. "But they got Takato somehow, and they made a copy of him. Just like they did to me!"

"You mean, Takato is the new host?" Kenta asked worriedly.

Jeri nodded as she triped to keep herself from wailing. "That's who we were fighting just now. The D-Reaper's using Takato to get to me. It even knows where I live."

"We've got to tell Hypnos," said Kenta nervously, "and see if there's anything they can do. I wonder—I wonder if we can contact Ryo and everyone."

"They'd try to return if they could," said Kazu.

"Oh, this is all my fault!" Jeri moaned, putting her forehead into her palm.

"Jeri, stop it," Kazu grabbed her arm and she gasped in surprise. "Nothing is your fault. We got you back and we're gonna get Takato back too."

"Y-you sure, Kazu?" Jeri asked.

"I'm positive," Kazu insisted, "now let's get to Hypnos and see if they've got a plan."

Kenta was trying to keep Jeri calm as Kazu explained to the Monster Makers what happened. They pressed Jeri for every detail she could tell them but she had already told them all she knew. She didn't' know how they got a hold of Takato and why they haven't heard about it from Henry. She had no idea how long Takato was the D-Reaper's prisoner.

"See if you can contact Henry and the others," Mr. Wong told Mr. Yamaki urgently. Yamaki nodded and went to the computer. He tried time after time to get a connection and finally he got hold of them.

"Henry, Ryo, Rika—can you hear me?"

"Mr. Yamaki!" Henry exclaimed, three blurry faces scrunched together on the screen. Henry looked nervous, Ryo relieved and Rika frustrated.

"They've got Takato!" Rika said quickly.

"We know," said Mr. Yamaki and the other monster makers and tamers crowded around him so they could talk. "We've met Takato's clone."

"You mean, they made a double of Takato already?" Henry asked. "And it went to the other side?"

"It attacked Jeri, man," Kazu explained, "trying to get her back."

"Typical," Rika muttered, "they're just using Takato to get to Jeri!"

"You three had better get back here," Mr. Wong said.

"We've tried, Dad," Henry said, "but we've lost the digi-port! I think it's easier to get into the digital world than it is to leave it!"

"What?"

"We've even tried contacting you," Ryo added, "but we were getting too much static. I guess you have more of an advantage there."

"Unless we do something," Yamaki said, "you can all be stuck there."

"No!" Jeri cried, rushing over. "I won't believe it. Tell me you can find a way to bring them back!"

"We'll try," said Mr. Wong, "Henry, how did the D-Reaper get Takato?"

"Takato just gave himself up," Henry replied.

"He did what?" Kazu demanded. "Is he out of his cotton pickin' mind? Why did he do that for?"

"He wanted to protect Jeri," Rika retorted. "It's a thing called sacrifice, Kazu."

"Takato gave himself up for me?" Jeri mumbled in disbelief. "But he shouldn't have. It went after me anyway."

"What are you going to do to save Takato?" Guilmon asked. "Is there anyway you can make me digivolve without him?"

"We'll see what we can do, Guilmon," said Daisy, "now just keep out of sight. We'll see if we can go after you or make another ark."

"We'll try," said Rika, "but it's easier said than done!"

"Chaos is everywhere," Ryo told them, "digimon here are dropping like flies. I don't know how much more the Digital World can take! I think—,"

The picture went fuzzy and the transmission went dead.

"Henry!" Mr. Wong gasped. "Come back!"

"Ryo!" Yamaki exclaimed. "Rika! Can you hear us?" He slammed his fist on the desk and turned to the others. "We've lost connection."

"No!" Suzie whined. "Henwee, Teweewahmon!"

"What are we going to do?" Jeri asked. "Is there anyway…anyway to get them back?"

"We'll get working on something right away," Yamaki promised.

"Someone will have to alert Takato's parents," Daisy stated.

"I'll do it," Jeri mumbled.

"But Jeri, what if Takato's clone waiting for you there?" Kazu asked. "You can't go by yourself!"

"It's because of me the D-Reaper's got Takato," Jeri grunted.

"No it's not," said Kazu, "you heard what Rika said. He gave himself up."

"I know, so he can protect me. Don't you see? This is my fault."

"Jeri…"

"I'll tell Takato's parents," Jeri said. "If Takato's double is there, then I have to warn their parents. They won't be safe either."

"What about you and your family Jeri?" Kenta asked. "You said the T-Reaper knows where you live."

"They can stay with my grandmother," Jeri replied, "she lives far from here and the T-Reaper doesn't know where that is. Takato's never met my grandmother."

"Yeah, but what about you?" Kazu inquired. "You gonna just stay at your hosue alone where he can get you?"

"I—I'll think of something," Jeri said.

"Hey, why don't you stay with us?" Ai asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Jeri mumbled.

"Come stay with us," Ai repeated.

"No, I couldn't," said Jeri.

"Oh come one, Jeri," said Impmon, "this way you'll have two digimon to protect you instead of one. Besides it's the least I can do…after what…what I did."

Jeri paused before saying anything. A small smile appeared on her face. "All right then. If it's all right with your parents, I'll stay."

* * *

Jeri was worried that the Matsudas would be angry with Jeri about what happened but they weren't. They were worried about Takato's well being but moved about his sacrifice. They knew that he really must've cared about Jeri to do such a thing.

"That's just what Takato would do," Mrs. Matsuda said tearfully. "We taught him to think of others. I just hope he's okay!"

"Jeri, you were in the same spot," Mr. Matsuda said, "what would be happening to Takato now?"

"Well, the D-Reaper would be boasting probably," Jeri replied, "trying to make him think that help was never going to come and make him feel worthless. AT least, that's how I felt. But Takato's different. I'm sure he's staying strong."

"It won't—kill him, would it?" Mrs. Matsuda inquired.

"No," Jeri replied, "not yet. It wants to kill the digimon first and then everyone else. It's just using Takato…to get to me."

"He'll be okay though, right?" Mrs. Matsuda inquired. "The others are working on a plan to get him back?"

"Of course," Jeri replied,"they are right now. Don't' worry, we'll get Takato back. We'll stop the D-Reaper for good!"

"How long will it be?" Mr. Matsuda asked.

"Not sure," said Jeri, "but we'll get him back if I got to do it myself!" She felt her self confidence rise as she spoke. She couldn't' let them see her look doubtful. She had to believe that Takato was all right.

"Jeri, it's too dangerous," said Mr. Matsuda, "I'm sure Hypnos can find a way to bring him back without risking anyone's lives."

"Takato risked his life for me many times," Jeri stated firmly. "Takato made me the best digimon in the world and there's no way I can lose!"

Kneazlemon perked up, looking surprised. "You mean me, Jeri?"

"Of course I mean you, Kneazlemon!" Jeri laughed. "Who else?"

Kneazlemon purred as Jeri picked her digimon up. "We're going to save the Takato and stop the D-Reaper, right?"

"Of course," said Kneazlemon.

"Takato's going to be all right. I can feel it."

After telling Takato's parents about Takato's condition, Jeri told her family they had to take off and visit relatives where the T-Reaper wouldn't find them. Jeri didn't want them to get hurt. They tried to talk her out of it but Jeri insisted they didn't have much of a choice. If they stayed the D-Reaper would find them.

"I'll be at Ai and Mako's until this is all over,' said Jeri, "I'm going to have to fight the D-Reaper and I can't let anyone get hurt."

"But Jeri…" her dad began and she cut him off.

"Please, you have to stay with grandma where you'll be safe," Jeri stated, "now if anything happens to me or anything I just want to tell you how much I love you."

Her dad and step mother stared. Jeri smiled. "Satsuki, I want to apologize the way I acted when you married dad. I shouldn't' have been so mean."

"Jeri…"

"Thanks for being so nice to me, even when I wasn't' nice back," Jeri said tearfully. "And Masahiko, I'm so glad to have a little brother like you."

"Really?"

"Really," Jeri stated, "The T-Reaper could be coming any minute so there's no time to waste. Please be careful."

Having changed a lot in the last few hours, Jeri picked up her old treasures and looked them over. Her dingo hand puppet and pink dingo-face purse. She used her puppet to get by with her mother's death, her dad's remarriage and everything that upset Jeri. She didn't need it anymore. She threw it away with her old purse. She took off her green jumper dress and yellow top and threw those away as well. They reminded her the way her mother used to dress her. Now she wanted to be different.

Jeri went to her closet, pulled out a khaki skirt with large pockets and put it on. Kneazlemon watched with interest.

"Why are you changing, Jeri?" she asked. "Don't you like your clothes?"

"Those used to belong to the old Jeri," Jeri replied, "now there's a new Jeri now."

"New Jeri?"

"Yes," said Jeri and she pulled on a black and orange striped shirt. "It's about time I changed my ways and the way I dress. That stupid jumper dress made me feel like a kid. I'm not a kid anymore. I'm a _tamer _and a good friend of mine is counting on me."

Jeri took her pigtail down, clicked her d-arc to a belt loop and stuck her cards in one of the large pockets of her skirt. Shaking her brown hair loose, she grabbed her backpack and looked to her digimon.

"Let's go, Kneazlemon."

To Be Concluded.


	6. Take Pride in Who You Are

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon Tamers.

Return of D-Reaper 6

Take Pride in Who You Are

Things seemed to get more difficult for everyone. The monster makers were working determinedly for a way to bring down the D-Reaper. There were dozens of agents of D-Reaper flying over the city, looking for Jeri. But Jeri wasn't about to be caught.

The news about Takato gave Jeri the determination to become a better tamer. She worked tiresly with her partner, cleaning the streets of D-Reaper agents and practiced for hours on Knealzemon's moves. All Jeri could think about was getting Takato back. It was driving her insane, wondering what was going on in his head while he was sitting there helpless in the belly of the D-Reaper. She had been there. She knew how he must be feeling at that moment. The circumstances might have been different but she knew what it was like to sit there, wondering if the world was going to be all right or it was total abomination out there.

She tried sending telepathic messages to Takato, letting him know she was thinking about him, telling him that they were going to save him and that everything was going to be okay. If anything were to happen to him she'd never forgive herself. Never. He meant so much to her. She never realized this until now.

"Takato," Jeri whispered, holding her digivice and looking out to the city "hold on. Just hang in there, for me. I'm coming…oh…Takato…"

She turned to see her digimon playing with Impmon. Knealzemon had him pinned on his back and he was shouting for help. Jeri laughed.

"Kneazlemon, I think Impmon's had enough," she said.

* * *

Ryo, Henry and Rika tried time and time again to get back to the real world but the way was made shut. Unless they got help from the outside, the y would be trapped in the digital world for good. How long were hey going to have to wait? It was driving them crazy. Rika kept going on how she felt so helpless. Henry did his best to keep her calm. Ryo was staring out to where the D-Reaper was hiding.

"I'm so mad! How many times do we have to fight this stupid thing before we actually defeat it?"

"We'll think of something," said Henry quietly. "I'm sure Dad's working on it right now."

Rika paced the ground. "I can't stand it. I can't just—just sit here and wait for them to rescue us!"

"We don't have much of a choice, Rika," Henry told her, "we can't get out."

"We've got to stop the D-Reaper," Rika muttered, "Renamon! Let's go!"

"No, wait!" Henry cried. "You can't go. It's too dangerous."

"What do you expect us to do, Henry?" Rika demanded. "Just sit here and wait? Well, I can't! We've got to get Takato out of there!"

"The-Reaper is more dangerous now," said Henry, "what if it takes you as a host too?"

"Then maybe I can help Takato out of there," Rika stated, "come on, are we tamers are not?"

"Rika…"

"She's got a point, Henry," said Ryo suddenly, still staring at the chaos. "We're trapped here with the D-Reaper. It's using Takato to get stronger. What if it gets to Earth again? We've got to make sure it stays here."

"What if something happens?" Henry asked nervously.

"Hey, I've been here longer than any of you," Ryo turned around. "I never expected to come back home. I've learned a lot about how the digital works. We have to fight the D-Reaper so it won't delete everything. If we die…then it's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Come on, Ryo!" Henry exclaimed. "We can't put our lives in danger."

"We've done that!" Ryo barked. "We've always done that. There's a reason why we became tamers you know. We've got to protect the world from the D-Reaper. We're the only ones who can. How do you know that the D-Reaper won't keep its promise and continue to get Jeri?"

"Well, we don't," said Rika.

"We're the only ones that can biomerge," said Ryo, "and we're the only ones that can do anything. I don't think Takato would want us to just sit here."

Henry hesitated and ran his hand through his hair. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt."

"People _will _get hurt unless we do something!" Rika exclaimed. "Let's at least try and tell Takato we're doing what we can."

"Maybe we can help him," said Guilmon hopefully. "I don't know what to do without Takato."

"We have to do something," Renamon added.

"Oh, all right," Henry said, "let's go."

* * *

Takato felt so helpless sitting in the belly of the D-Reaper. He also felt bored and alone and scared. Giving himself up was pointless. He thought he was protecting Jeri by his sacrifice when in fact he put her in even more danger. The D-Reaper was still looking for her and now he just helped hit get stronger. He could only hope that when the agents found her, she'll be able to fight because he wouldn't be there to help her.

"Oh Jeri," he mumbled, "I'm so sorry."

* * *

Surrounded by the D-Reaper's agents, Jeri and the others were faced with another fight. Her attitude was different from all the previous digimon battles before. This was for the fight to survive, to protect people and it was about bringing Tatko back. It was painful and she wished she had to do it but she knew she had no other choice but to fight back. It was her duty to protect the ones she loved.

"You cannot hide from us, Jeri Katou," the agents said, "it is time for you to come back to us."

Jeri backed up. "Forget it!"

The D-Reapers came to her and Leonemon jumped in front of her tamer and sent her Fist of the Isis attack.

"You'll have to get through _me _first!"

Her attacked deleted the more miner agents but was not enough to destroy the others. The other digimon moved in to attack.

"Guardian Barrage!" shouted Guardomon.

His attack did nothing to the agents. With only one Mega, two Champion and one Rookie, they couldn't take this battle.

"It's time to digivolve!" Kazu exclaimed.

_"Guardomon digivolve to…Andromon!"_

_"Lopmon warp digivolve to…Antylamon!"_

_"Impmon warp digivolve to…Beelzemon!"_

Once digivovled, Beelzemon raised his guns at a Creep hands and fired. "DOUBLE IMPACT!"

The bullets destroyed Beelzemon and his tamers cheered.

"Way to go, Beelzemon!" Ai cried.

Beelzemon gave his tamers the thumbs up.

The fight between the tamers and the agents got intense. Neither party would give up. The blasts from both the agents and the digimon made a building fall apart and the debris was heading toward them.

"Oh no!" Jeri shouted, coming to her knees and covering her head. Leonemon acted quickly and shielded Jeri just as Beelzemon and Guardromon raised their guns.

"GUARDIAN BARRIAGE!"

"DOUBLE IMPACT!"

In her attempt to protect her tamer, Leonemon's data began to upgrade.

_Matrix Digivolution._

"LEONEMON DIGIVOLVE TO…"

Leonemon was spinning in the matrix skin removed to the criss cross layering of her data. She came down onto all fours as her digivolution progressed. Her body was deep orange and her tail ended in a ball of razor sharp venom filled darts. Her human-like face had a wide mouth with double rows of teeth.

"MANTIMON!"

When the rocks were destroyed and the smoke cleared, the tamers witnessed Leonemen's Ultimate digivolution. They stared in surprise.

"Is that, Leonemon?" Kenta asked.

"Think so," Kazu mumbled.

Shocked to notice that she was still alive, Jeri took her hands from her head and looked about. She saw the underside of her digimon partner. There were four big furry feet with long claws around her. Her partner had grown nearly three times in size.

"Leonemon?"

"Are you all right?" Mantimon asked as she looked down.

Jeri nodded mutely.

"Good," Mantimon rose her head back and bared her teeth. "Still feel like playing? You've just made it to the next level. THENALA BLAST!"

A bright orange blast merged from her mouth and her eyes, heading toward the agents in her path. A number of green hornstrikers blew up where they stood once the attack got them. Mantimon's Thenala Blast had a long range and went on for about of mile. She closed her mouth, looked at antother group of agents and sent another Thenala Blast attack. Hornstrikers, Creephands and other agents were deleted.

"Everyone," Mantimo said, waving her dangerous tail of darts. "Get down!"

Figuring what she was planning, other digimon and tamers ducked. Venom dripped from the tip of her darts as she readied her attack.

"DEADLY DARTS!"

The long darts shot out of her tail with incredible speed. They flew the radius where the agents had them surrounded. Once her venom packed darts impaled themselves in the agents, they were deleted immediately. Mantimon shot more darts from her tail until the lesser ones were destroyed. The only agent that was left was the ADR7—the Parasite Head. It was large and pink in color covered in yellow mouths that was speaking in not Jeri's voice as before, but in Takato's. The words it was saying was even different.

"My fault," the Parasite Head was saying, "my fault. My fault. My fault."

"That's Takato's voice," Kenta stated.

Jeri gasped and got to her feet. "Stop talking in Takato's voice! You let him go!"

"My fault. My fault. My fault."

Jeri clenched her hands into fists. "It isn't Takato's fault. Takato, it's not your fault!"

"My fault. My fault. My fault."

"That is enough! You tell the D-Reaper that we're coming to set Takato free and it's not getting me back. It is over!"

A tendril with a camera attacted to it came out of the Parasite Head, heading toward Jeri. Mantimon growled and bit it off with her double rows of teeth.

"Leave, before we make you!"

The Parasite Head wasn't about to leave. The temars were going to have to use force.

"THENALA BLAST!"

"GUARDIAN BARRIAGE!"

"DOUBLE IMPACT!"

"KAHUNA WAVES!"

"BLAZING FIRE!"

Their combined attacks hurled toward the Parasite Head. The Parasite Head continued to speak in Takato's voice as it was slowly deleted. All that was left of it was one yellow mouth. It went from saying "My fault" to "Jeri."

"Let's see if the Monster Makers have come up with a plan yet ," Jeri said softly.

* * *

"SPIRIT STRIKE!" Sakuyamon sent her attack toward the Gate Keeper but her attack just bounced off the barrier.

"No, I don't believe it!" Rika hissed.

"Hold on, Takato!" Ryo shouted, "we're going to get you out!"

"Do you hear them, Takato," the D-Reaper said coldy. "They think they can save you!"

"I trust in my friends," Takato said in confidence. "While they're slowing you down in the Digital World, the other tamers and the Monster Makers are coming up with a plan to bring you down for good."

"You cannot stop us, Takato Matsuda," the D-Reaper told him.

"You've already made a mistake underestimating the tamers," Takato said through clenched teeth, fighting like mad to get free. "You'll see. It will just be a matter of time."

"JUSTICE BURST!"

"GARGO BLAST!"

The attacks hit the gate and it rumbled. Takato felt the attack.

"Takato, can you hear us?" Ryo called.

"That sounded like Ryo," Takato mumbled.

"TAKATO!" Guilmon exclaimed.

"Guys!" Takato shouted. "The D-Reaper tricked me. They're still going after Jeri. You have to warn her!"

"It's too late!" Rika shouted. "Jeri and the others already know. We can't get to the real world. We're stuck here!"

"Stuck…here?" Takato moaned. "Darn you, D-Reaper! You're the cause of this, aren't you?"

* * *

The Monster Makers studied the venom in Mantimon's darts. It had the power cause instant death to flesh and blood creatures as well as digimon and anything with data. They decided to use it against the D-Reaper somehow but they were going to need lots of it. Meanwhile, the Tamers ould do nothing but wait. It bothered the hell out of them. They didn't feel like waiting. They had to bring the D-Reaper down. As the Monster Makers were doing their research, Jeri was talking with Kenta and Kazu outside the room.

"What are they planning to make out of Mantimon's darts anyway?" Kazu demanded.

"They're probably going to put it in a really big syringe," Kenta guessed and shrugged.

"Then we'll have to give the D-Reaper a shot?" Kazu raised an eyebrow.

"We'll, at least we're getting somewhere," Jeri said softly. "It was the Monster Makers that created Digimon and the D-Reaper in the first place, right?"

"Yeah, they did," Kazu said in a 'tell-me-something-I-don't-know' sort of way.

"So _maybe _they can find a way to destroy it," Jeri said hopefully. "Then the D-Reaper will meet its maker. Our digimon can't do it they were also created by the Monster Makers. Our digimon can only slow it down. We need the Monster Makers' help on this one."

"I just wish they'd hurry up," Kazu groaned, "we don't' know when the agents will be back."

"I know," Jeri sighed and shook her head. "We're just going to have to be very careful."

Mr. Wong came out of the room. The Tamers turned to him.

"Did you figure anything out?" Kenta asked.

"I think we're onto something," Mr. Wong answered with a smile. "Come inside."

"Awesome!" Kazu exclaimed as the three of them followed him into the room.

"We've analyzed the poison in Mantimon's darts," Mr. Wong explained, gesturing to a pile of Mantimon's foot-long darts on a large Petri dish-like device. "It is very potent and we're making copies of the poison. We can use it to destroy the D-Reaper."

"All right!" Kazu said enthusiastically. "What do we have to do?"

"Well, that's the bad news," Mr. Wong said with a sigh. "Someone has to deliver the venom to the D-Reaper from the inside."

The three exchanged glances. "That's dangerous," said Kenta weakly. "Isn't there another way?"

"We've been trying, Kenta," said Mr. Wong, "but this looks like the only alternative. We can't destroy the D-Reaper from the outside. We have to attack it from the heart."

"I'll do it," said Jeri suddenly.

"Jeri, no!" Kenta gasped.

"I've been inside it, Kenta," Jeri told him. "I know what it's like. I'll have better luck getting inside it than anyone. It's it wants. I can't let anyone else get hurt."

"We can't let you do that," Kazu said firmly. "Not after what happened. I can do it. I should take more responsibility."

"Thanks, Kazu," said Jeri, "but I've got to do this."

"Well, we're going with you," Kazu said.

"What Susie and the others?" Jeri asked. "You will have to stay with them."

"They'll have Lopmon and Impmon to take care of them," said Kenta, "we can't let you go alone."

"Don't even fight us on it, Jeri," Kazu said with a grin. "We're going with you whether you like it or not."

Jeri sighed and shook her head. "Oh, all right."

Kazu laughed and put his arm around Jeri. Jeri looked at Mr. Wong. "So what is it that I've got to do, Mr. Wong?"

Mr. Wong pressed a button and a long gun-like syringe came out from a cold chamber on the working table. "When you get in the belly of the D-Reaper, you have to give it a shot with this."

"Wow, I was right," Kenta said in amazement.

"Seems simple enough," said Jeri.

"Before that," said Daisy , turning in her seat. "You will have to destroy as many gent s as possible and weaken the D-Reaper."

"No problem," Kazu said with a grin. "You ready?" he looked at Kenta and Jeri.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Jeri answered.

* * *

Using their D-Powers, Jeri, Kazu and Kenta were able to enter through the gate to the Digital World. It wasn't like the way they remembered it. It really was falling apart.

"Let's try to contact the others," Jeri said.

"Good idea," said Kazu. He took out their communication device from his bag and tried contacting the other Tamers.

From another part of the Digital World, Henry's communicator started blinking. His face, though fuzzy, appeared on the screen.

"Kazu? Any news?"

"Yeah, we're in the Digital World with you guys," said Kazu, "we've come up with a plan to stop the D-Reaper. Where are you?"

After giving a description of their location, Kazu and the others headed for Henry, Rika and Ryo.

"I see them!" said Guilmon excitedly. "They're coming!"

After saying they're "glad you're still alive" Henry told them the news about the D-Reaper and Jeri explained how they were going to stop the D-Reaper. They were fascinated by the Monster Makers' logic but they were uneasy with Jeri being the one having to do the work.

"Are you sure, Jeri?" Rika asked. "You don't have to do it. Anyone of us can do it."

"You're wrong," Jeri insisted, "I have to do this. It's because of me we're in this mess."

"Jeri, you didn't create the D-Reaper," said Henry.

"I know," Jeri sighed, "I know but I have been inside the D-Reaper. I know how it works. You guys can fight it from the outside but I have to get inside. The D-Reaper won't let anyone else inside."

"Okay, if this is how you feel," Ryo said, "we'll be your backup."

"Thanks," Jeri said, "now let's go save Takato!"

Ryo led the tamers to the D-Reaper for the face off. If there was a time for Jeri to biomerge with Knealzemon, the time was now.

"You're going down, D-Reaper!" Rika shouted. "We've come for Takato and we're not leaving without him!"

"Do not be so sure of that, humans!" the Shinigami Reaper roared, slashing its scythes.

"Time to Digivolve!" Henry exclaimed. "DIGIMODIFY…BIOMERGE ACTIVATE!"

The tamers slashed their cards and biomerged with their digimon. Jeri looked at Knealzemon.

"We've got to try and biomerge, Knealzemon," she said.

Knealzemon nodded and they focused on what they wanted to do. Jeri thought about how her relationship with Knealzemon got better.

_I never expected to become a tamer again and get another chance. But I know that friends that care about me. I've been where Takato is and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for his kindness. I want to use his gift and who him how grateful I am that he gave me this chance. I know better than anyone what he must be feeling right now trapped in the D-Reaper because I've been there._

"Knealzemon biomerge digivolve to…"

Jeri began to merge with her digimon. They were taken to a desert scene with fire. Their body became one and they were dressed in green. Silver armor came on top of the green clothing and an Egyptian Headdress came down on the Mega digimon's lioness-like head.

"Bastmon!"

"Jeri and Knealzemon biomerged!" Kenta exclaimed.

"She looks like us," said Sakuyamon and Rika together.

"This is amazing," Jeri breathed from within Bastmon. She was standing in a yellow digital sphere. "All right, Bastmon, let's get to work!"

"With pleasure," said Bastmon and she held out her hand. An Egyptian percussion instrument called a sistrum appeared in her hand and she shook it.

"SISTRUM RATTLE!"

There was a loud rattling noise that vibrated around the whole scene. The waves from the vibration caused the D-Reaper Agents to break apart whereas the sound gave the other tamers and their digimon confidence to win the fight. From within the D-Reaper, Takato heard the sound and it verified that his friends were with him. Only he didn't know Jeri was among them.

"That noise?" he wondered. "Where is it coming from?"

"Wow, I feel so brave," Kenta whispered. "How about you, Posidonmon?"

"Never better," his digimon replied and the electric eel around his torso began charging. "HIGH VOLTAGE!"

The eel uncoiled itself from Posidonmon's torso and wrapped itself around the sickle of the Shinigami reaper. With a burst of electricity, the sickle fell off and the eel returned to its master.

"ATOMIC RAY!" HiAndromon shouted and he sent his ray to the agents destroying them.

"We've got to break through the gate!" Ryo shouted. "JUSTICE BURST!"

The get rumbled but nothing happed.

"Try harder, human!" the D-Reaper roared.

"We will," said Henry.

"GARGO MISSLE!"

The attack blew up some agents as it hit the gate keeper again. Bastmon and Sakuyamon looked each other.

"Perhaps we should attack it together," said Sakuyamon.

"Very well," Bastmon agreed, shaking her sistrum which was later replaced with a silver staff with what looked like an upside down bell on the top. The two Egyptian Goddess Digimon swirled their weapons and focused on their energy.

"EGYPTIAN LASER!"

A blue and yellow blast formed together from the two female digimon and hit the gate keeper so hard it broke.

"Go, Jeri!" Rika said from inside Sakuyamon. "We've got your back."

"Thanks!" Jeri called and flew toward the womb of the D-Reaper. 'Almost there, Takato. Almost there.'

Something started to emerge from inside the D-Reaper. It was the T-Reaper but it no longer looked like Takato. Its body was a sick looking green and his eyes were red. His brown hair stretched out on end and he wore a black sort of jumpsuit.

"You've finally come to join us, Jeri!" he laughed as he flew toward her.

"Don't be so sure about that!" Jeri snarled as a basket appeared in her left hand. She spun around in the air and flames shot out of the basket.

"PYROS APOCOLYPSE!"

Flames flew around everywhere, catching the T-Reaper's leg on fire. He soared away and the flames landed on other agents and on the D-Reaper. Laughing, the T-Reaper flew toward her again with his arms stretched out.

"Come where you belong!" his hands grasped onto Bastmon's throat. "Come out of there, Jeri!"

"NO!" Takato shouted from the inside of D-Reaper. "You let Jeri go!'

Bastmon lifted up her strong legs and kicked T-Reaper away from her.

"I will not let you control me again, D-Reaper," Jeri said. "Come on, Kneazlemon."

A semi circular shield called an aegis formed on Bastmon's wrist and she held it in front of her. "RAY OF RA!"

"NOOOOO!" The T-Reaper cried as he was destroyed. The great burst of yellow light went right through him, breaking him apart and tore a hole within the womb of the D-Reaper. Takato turned his face aside and closed his eyes to brace the impact.

"Takato!" Jeri shouted as she flew into the cavity. "I'm coming!"

Surprised to hear her voice, Takato looked up. He saw the beautiful mega digimon flying toward him. "Jeri? Is that you? Is that…the digimon I gave you?"

Bastmon landed into the cavity. She tore the tendrils holding him bound. "Takato, you've got to get out!"

"Jeri, you're here," Takato said breathlessly. "You're really here and—and you got to biomerge and—"

"No time for that!" Batson de-digivovled back to Jeri and Knealzemon. "The womb is about to seal itself back up. Get out of here!"

"I'm not leaving without you, Jeri!" Takato yelled.

"It's me the D-Reaper wants," Jeri insisted, "now go."

"Jeri, no," Takato persisted. "I can't."

"I'll be fine, now go!" Jeri pushed him out of the D-Reaper.

"No!" Takato cried, his tears flying in the air as he pummeled to the ground. "Jeriiiii!"

"I'm coming, Takato!" Henry shouted as Gargomon flew up to him and caught him in his big hands.

"We've got to save Jeri!" Takato said madly. "We can't let the D-Reaper hurt her again!"

"She knows what she's doing, Takato!" Rika insisted. "It'll be all right!"

"Jeri! Jeri!"

"It is good that you've returned to us, Jeri," said the D-Reaper as it reached its tendrils toward her.

"What makes you think I've returned?" Jeri demanded, pulling the syringe gun from inside her jacket and ramming the floor of the D-Reaper with it. It screamed in agony and Jeri released the deleting chemicals into the D-Reaper's system. The chemicals went through quickly like a ripple.

"No!" the D-Reaper yelled in pain and in frustration. "No, this cannot be!"

"What's happening?" Takato wondered. "Is it—is it?"

"Jeri injected some kind of venom in the D-Reaper to make it de-digivolve," Henry explained.

"But what about Jeri?" Takato demanded. "She didn't sacrifice herself, did she?"  
"I—I don't know," Henry replied.

There were numerous explosions erupting from allover the D-Reaper. The Tamers moved back, calling for Jeri and Knealzemon. Their breath was taken away and their hearts stopped. Was Jeri alive? Were they ever going to see them again?

The dust cleared and Bastmon walked out onto the ground beneath them. She fell to her knees and the others hurried to her.

"Bastmon!" HiAndromon exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," said Bastmon. "We biomerged just in time. We won't have to worry about the D-Reaper anymore."

Bastmon de-digivovled back into Jeri and Knealzemon again. Trying to hold back his tears, Takato ran to Jeri and threw his arms around her.

"Oh Jeri, I'm so glad you're all right!" he said.

"Of course I am," Jeri smiled, "you made me the best digimon in the world, Takato."

"Hey, what's that?" Gargomon inquired, spotting something on the ground. The others turned around to see what he was pointing at. Jeri bent down and picked it up.

"It looks like a computer disk," she said, "the D-Reaper de-digivovled back to its original state! Just a file on a disk."

"Then it really is gone," Kazu said.

"Yeah," Jeri breathed in relief. "It is."

* * *

The Monster Makers were amazed with the plan and glad that it worked. With the D-Reaper gone for got the Digital World was able to flourish. The Digimon were able to also stay in the Real World, though time to time they would need to return to the Digital World to recharge.

As Knealzemon and Guilmon played in the park, Jeri and Takato were sitting on a blanket discussing the D-Reapers return and destruction.

"I am so glad that we finally beat it," Jeri sighed in relief, lying on her stomach and looking at the grass. "And everything's back to normal."

"I'm so proud of you, Jeri," Takato said.

"You are?" Jeri asked, turning her eyes up at him. "What do you mean?"

"You were the one that did it," Takato told her. "You stopped it."

"Oh, don't start talking to me like I'm a hero," Jeri muttered. "I couldn't have done it without you. You created Kneazlemon for me. She's a great digimon." She sat up and put her arms around her legs.

"still, I'm proud of you," Takato said. "You were great. You showed great courage, sacrificing yourself like that."

"I just did what had to be done," Jeri said, "I couldn't let the D-Reaper take over you like it took over me."

"You certainly are a lot stronger."

"I am?"

"Yeah," Takato smiled, "I mean, you were strong then but I didn't know that was you in that digimon. I thought for sure you didn't want anything to do with your new digimon."

"I know," Jeri admitted, "I was afraid to get close to it after what happened to Leomon. Then when I heard that the D-Reaper had you I knew I had to fight, even though I didn't really want to."

"I think you're great," Takato praised. "You should take more pride in yourself, Jeri."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because I take pride in you," Takato said. "I really like you, a lot."

Taken aback, Jeri stared. Her eyes twinkled and her lips spread in a smile.

"Oh, Takato," she leaned forward, hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. "You're the greatest. I'm glad you're safe because if something happened to you, I never would've forgiven myself."

Takato returned the kiss and took Jeri's hand in his. "Well, we're going to be all right, Jeri because we've got each other now."

Jeri squeezed his hand and a tear of joy came down her cheek. Wiping it away, she laughed and hugged Takato again. Everything was going to be all right now, as long as they had each other.

* * *

THE END

Whew! I'm glad I was finally able to finish this story! I changed Kneazlemon's mega to Bastmon as you have noticed because Bast was actually an Egyptian cat Goddess.

So sorry this story took so long to finish. As for "Don't Go Daddy" the Rika story I don't think I'll put it up. It may be on hold as I've got severe writers block for it and I'm working on others instead. If anyone else would want to take the story as a challenge, fine by me. Thanks!


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